Grimm Inside Me
by Maximus Hambugerlius
Summary: Jaune Arc was once a good friend. Now, he's dead and brought to life all of a sudden. Unfortunately, he's brought to life with a shadowy being who can transform a light-hearted man into a soulless, bloodthirsty monster who will leave nothing but panic and destruction in its path.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Sirens blared and lights flashed around the pitch-black night. Police cruisers surrounded a shopping mall while some of them were SWAT vans and Atlas APCs. Each of the cruiser's doors were open and police officers and Atlesian soldiers gathered together, discussing a crime issue.

Behind them, a gray sedan with a label _Aurora_ on the grille drove past the gate of the mall and headed near the entrance before stopping next to the police cruisers. A man came out, in a leather jacket with a shirt underneath and a red tie. His face and hair looked like he was dressed to impress.

Detective Andre Hilltop glanced at his scroll before blowing cold air. He walked over the tape surrounding the mall's entrance. He lifted the tape, seeing most of the officers talking to each other while some were trying to calm the distressed witnesses, covered in blankets. As soon as he saw an officer holding a clipboard, he went up to him and cleared his throat.

"What's the issue, officer?" He asked.

The officer looked at him "We've received a distress call from a witness, about an issue at the Vale Central Mall before the line was cut off."

"What seemed to happen?"

"The thing is," The officer continued, taking the conversation off subject. "The chief's being concerned over a unit he dispatched to investigate hasn't returned or contacted since 2 hours."

Andre scratched his chin. If the unit hasn't returned for 2 hours, he could confirm that they could either be murdered or just slacking around. Either way, someone needs to investigate.

"What did the caller say before the line was cut?" Andre questioned.

"Well," The officer stated. "The witness said something about the whole mall on a blackout all of a sudden."

"And?"

"There was a loud sound from the line. He didn't say anything for around 10 seconds before he said something we couldn't hear and told us to get the police immediately. Right until the call finished."

"It could be possible he was murdered to avoid giving out more information." He commented, walking away.

Andre headed into the entrance with one of the displays shattered and glass spread over the ground. Once a mall bustling with citizens and visited by politicians and ministers now just an empty dark place, even though the shops were still standing. Inside the entrance, he caught up to a group of Atlesian soldiers and a SWAT team. One of the Atlesian, an officer wearing a beret and a long coat noticed Andre and saluted. The others did the same.

"Evening, Detective Hilltop," The officer announced, raising his hand. "I'm Atlas Corporal Taron Blum and this is my top unit." He showed Andre his unit. A handful of mostly armored soldiers with helmets covering their faces, including the mouth.

"Pleasure to meet you," Andre raised his to shake his hand. "I see the chief of police sent you here to accompany me, right?"  
"Correct," Blum replied. "I've organized my team of the best men I can offer that will help seize the criminals and make sure nothing goes awry."  
"Same for the SWAT?"  
"Yes."  
Andre breathed out and fumbled his jacket. "Alright then. Let's move."  
He headed for the open area of the mall as Blum ordered his men to follow. In front, an officer stood near the wide area with tape surrounding it.  
"Might wanna be careful," He said, in a country accent. "Those folks the chief sent got lost and ain't ever seen again. I rather stay here and keep watch."  
Andre stifled a smile, lifting the tape. "Thanks."  
"Oh, and don' get eaten! Just in case." The officer called out just as Andre and the group disappeared.

As the group moved on, Andre looked around. The wide area with the shops and seats on the middle were covered in extreme dusk that Andre had to use his scroll as a torch. He went on, shining his scroll as Blum's unit and the SWAT did the same.

Ahead of them, a SWAT operative notice a line of blood.

"Sir, there's blood." He said, showing Andre.

"Follow the blood. It could lead to a link."

They went after the line which stopped at a entrance. Andre cocked his head up and noticed a trashed boutique store. In front of them was a maimed body, covered in blood and laying on a smashed table. Andre shone the scroll and grimaced at that one sight.

It was a body of a woman. Her arms were hanging from her elbows with bone showing. The innocent face was disfigured as one eye was poked out. The body's stomach was exposing its removed intestines and even a stabbed kidney. Andre didn't want to describe more as the SWAT operative gagged and groaned at that sight.

"What the hell?" Andre whispered, approaching the gutted body. He heard the SWAT operative back away before retching from behind.

Andre shook his head and sighed before getting to his feet. Had he never seen any sight like this before. His empty stomach mixed with his dry mouth, combined with thirst.

"Sir?" Andre heard a voice say. He turned, approaching the operatives. The SWAT operative pointed at a north direction. "There's more."  
Andre followed his finger and his eyes widen. The whole mall was destroyed with blood splattered around the ground. Plants rotten, shops' signs were limping and even worse, the sight of the bodies.

The smell snuck into each of the noses, the odor was unbearable. Andre covered his mouth but held his scroll.  
"Masks on, now!" An operative bellowed. Each SWAT operative pulled out a gas mask, wearing over their helmets and balaclavas. Andre was handed a respirator mask. He slipped it on without hesitation.

"Let's move." Blum ordered, heading to the open. Some Atlesian soldier reluctantly followed him as the rest stayed behind.

As the group stepped over butchered bodies, Andre heard loud breathing coming from each SWAT operative, as well as himself. Andre observed the bodies. Flies surrounded each of it, buzzing in every second. Even several slimy eggs covered on them.

"What the hell happened here?" One of the SWAT operatives questioned.

"Whaddya think, idiot?" Another responded harshly. "Anything could've happened!"  
Andre ignored the bickering and moved on. So if it wasn't a White Fang orchestrated attack, then what is it that started it? Could it be something worse than Grimm?

The group moved away, stopping to a halt. More of them kept on, shops trashed and dead bodies.

"Let's move away from here," said Andre. "Head upstairs."

"Finally!"

Making their way to the first floor, the group slowly advanced. Suddenly, they heard a muffled clang echoing through the mall. All of them stopped. They didn't notice anything as it was dark. Strangely to Andre, the sound looked like it was coming from the ceiling.

"This way." Blum ordered, moving up to the food shops.

As they checked the shops, more sounds echoed through the court but none were bothered by it. Suddenly, Andre heard muffled growls. He stopped at his tracks. Growls? Why are there growls all of a sudden that sound like a Grimm?

The group continued to move until a loud sound rang through again. Still nobody bothered to check but this time they raised their weapons just to protect themselves. While navigating through tumbled chairs slowly, a SWAT operative let out a yelp before disappearing. This time, everybody spun around, surprised.

The Atlesian soldiers and the SWAT aimed their weapons at nothing as they listen to muffled rippings and crunching liquid. Some of the soldiers were scared, even the "best" Atlesian soldiers too.

"What the hell was that?" A SWAT operative asked, frightened.

"Was that a Grimm?"  
"That's bullshit!" An Atlesian soldier responded strictly. "Grimm don't come here at all! Not even when there's a thousand of people." Andre had to agree. Grimm are only attracted to negative emotion.

"All of you, shut up." Blum shushed, raising his hand.

The group moved forward, some began to tremble along with their weapons. As they moved on, the sound returned but this time, using its actions. Grabbing on a SWAT operative's legs, it pulled him away. He let out a cry, attracting attention everybody. Andre shone his scroll to where the SWAT operative was.

"No, no, help! HELP! HEEEELLLP!"

Everybody watched in alarm as the light shone on the operative, helplessly slapping the ground for support as he was pulled away where the light didn't shine. The entire group listened to body ripping, cowardly screams and chairs tumbling. Blood splattered on both the property and the ground. Andre stared in terror before turning to the others. The Atlesian soldiers and the SWAT were completely petrified, except Taron Blum.

In the shadows, red splattered eyes shone through the shadows. The worst thing that spine-chilled the soldiers were the round, dark orange glow. All of a sudden, the court was filled with bullet sounds. Every soldier, SWAT and Atlesian, moved forward and shot at the figure. The bullets didn't affect the monster but strained him a bit as it backed away.

The soldier's fired until they heard the monster charging at them. They backed away to safety except for one Atlesian soldier. The soldier still shot at him before the monster jumped. Before he knew it, black claws rammed through his neck. He choked on his own blood before his head was completely removed. The headless body fell to the ground with the rifle clattering.

Soldier's backed away, with looks as it this event will stay with them forever. Andre knew what it meant. You reap what you sow. A complete mistake to show it's full look.

The monster's body was nothing but black skin with red veins, linking to the neck and it's head. White horns on its forearms with half of it's face like a devil with its splattered mouth and eyes glowing while the other half is just a white skull with red veins. Mix of blood and saliva drooled onto the ground as the monster roared.

"RUN!" One of the soldiers yelled, running off. Andre and Blum's unit went after him.

The monster growled and snorted before clambering for them. Andre led the group and went into the toilets. Heading to the staff-access hallway, Andre sprinted past janitor equipment, tumbling down brooms. The SWAT and the Atlesian soldiers raced after him, stopping to shoot the monster behind them before catching up.

As they ran, an Atlesian operative tripped over a broom. He tumbled and fell to the ground. Panting for air and no time to get up, he crawled away from the monster. Turning his head to where the monster is, he saw it run faster on the walls and the ceilings before it cocked its head to the soldier.

Fear consumed him as he reached for his rifle before glancing to discover the monster already on him. Andre ignored the distant screams and gut-wrenching sounds as he ran towards the hallway on his right. As Andre reached for the fire door, he noticed that Blum isn't around. Wheezing, he ran to find Blum standing on the middle of the hall. He doesn't seemed scared about the situation. Around him were just around 3 Atlesian soldiers and only one SWAT operative.

Andre glared at him as if he's crazy. "Corporal! We got to move, now!"

"Listen to the detective, he's right!" An Atlesian soldier said, on Andre's side.

"No!" He snapped. "Why are we running? Let's show that brute who we are!"

"To hell with this! I'm outta here!"

"I'd rather die getting shot than getting mauled by a psychopath!"

Taron Blum watched his own "best" unit following Andre, abandoning him. He stood there, realizing his own unit become weaklings.

"What?" He bellowed. "Cowards! Get back here, you idi-AHH!" The monster caught up to him and dragged his leg, sending him into the darkness. Looks like the corporal isn't as smart as Andre thought he is.

Andre went down the stairs with an Atlesian soldier on the lead. Suddenly, the door on their left tore apart. The monster returned, cutting off their tracks and startling the soldiers and Andre, causing him to drop the scroll. The scroll with the light still on clattered near the monster.

An Atlesian at the front fired at the monster before he was pounced and ripped apart. Andre and the remaining soldiers went back to the stairs, shutting the door.

"Go! I'll take him from here!" An Atlesian soldier told them, picking a grenade off his suit.

Andre and his remaining group, consisting one SWAT operative and the last Atlesian soldier, ran to the hallway to whatever it takes them. Charging to a door ahead, they managed to barge in. The group found themselves inside the loading docks where they noticed a small, round parking lot still with several vehicles parked. He vaulted over the railing and looked around for another exit. As he searched, the screech returned.

"Shit, it's here!" One Atlesian soldier cried out.

Andre dashed away from the shadow before heading to a semi trailer. There, he and the remaining units hid behind, waiting for the monster to disappear. Andre's breath caught up, hurting his lungs but he ignored as he watched the shadow cast over the trailer which eventually led to a room. He saw it as the right time to get past, gesturing the soldiers to follow him.

As the group advanced, they heard a snort before a screech behind. Spinning around, a SWAT operative at the last stared at it in fear. Andre ignored him and ran off with the Atlesian soldier with him, leaving the operative behind to shoot at the monster coming at him. He doesn't care about their deaths anymore, as long as they don't put it to waste.

Kicking the door down, Andre and the Atlesian soldier made their way to a cleaner hall before leading themselves to a storage room. They ran past it and slammed their way out to a fire exit door. Andre opened the door and toppled their way onto the stairs. He stopped on a floor and slammed open a door with a "White" sign on it.

They looked around and found themselves in a parking lot. There were still cars parked in a row while some spaces were left untouched. As the two searched for something to escape, one of the vents above tore off. The monster apparently crawled its way from the vents to where the parking lot is. Andre could assume that this monster has extreme vision.

The monster caught Andre and the Atlesian soldier in its glowing eye before roaring. It began tumbling after them, forcing the two to run. Andre led himself to a wide ramp, leading to a barrier. He vaulted over, almost falling over. The Atlesian soldier tried to do the same only to fall off the beam. There was no point getting back up as the monster already caught up with him.

Andre ignored the loss of a soldier while listening to the screams and gunshots. Right now, it's all up to him. As he trodden rocks on the unfinished parking lot, Andre lost his speed from his throbbing feet and a stabbing kidney. He stopped before pulling out a handgun from his holster, shooting at the monster. Red dust slammed against the monster, backing him down but not destroying the body.

Andre lowered the gun before sprinting. He bumped into a sedan, turning around to notice the monster in the air. With Andre tumbling away from the spot, the monster landed on the sedan's windshield, causing it to sound the alarm. Andre, on the ground, fired several shots at the monster before getting back to his feet.

Had he knew what was coming, he would've not looked back. The monster grabbed hold of Andre's body in a flash before hurling him away. His body slammed against the side of a muscle car, creating a bump on the door and cracked glass on the window. As he fell down, the door limped open. The gun stayed on his hand though.

Spitting out blood and meat, Andre painfully pulled himself up as the monster clambered after him. His hand clasped onto a hanging wing mirror. Without a thought, Andre yanked it off completely before swinging the mirror to the monster's face. The glass punctured the monster's face, splattering red blood.

With the monster distracted, Andre unholstered his gun and climbed into the car, swinging the door open. He looked underneath the dashboard and found a row of wires. While he attached the wires together, he glanced up to check on the monster. By the time he managed to hotwire the car, the monster charged at him. Andre quickly started the car and reversed. The monster managed to just slam itself against the door, smashing the door off completely.

The car spun around, hitting another parked car in the process. Andre ignored the alarm sound and yanked the shift knob, setting it to acceleration. The car eventually darted away from the monster, but it wasn't able to control itself. The back wheels tore the floor, causing the car to go in an uncertain direction.

The car almost flipped over from the strong collision. Landing the car safely, Andre redid the shift before making the car accelerate forward while drifting right. The monster suddenly jumped onto the car's roof. His car began to spin out of control, hitting other cars before it managed to control the balance. Andre went back into the car park, ramming the body of the Atlesian soldier and the barrier.

Andre steered left, slamming into other cars just to get the monster off. The car's was completely crumpled from the slamming of cars. The roof almost looked like it was going to fall off. He took the ramp below, taking another right. Noticing a curly ramp, he drifted left. The car began to suffer bumps as the monster slammed the roof repeatedly. Suddenly, it fell off from a sharp turn. The monster somehow managed to climb back up and grab hold of the car. It hung onto the door, near Andre.

Andre noticed the monster scraping itself on the road beside him. He took a left, only for the car to screech out of control and hitting a wall. The car instantly lost engine, making it unusable. Andre coughed and wheezed as smoke surrounded inside the car, making him open the door.

The monster grabbed onto him first thing, throwing his limp body to a van. Andre felt the the piercing and the pain of his back as he landed on the van's window. Everything was silent except for the monster's growling and snarls. He braced as it grasped it's claws on his leg, pulling him down to the cement road.

Andre tried pushing its hands away, only for his hands to writhe in pain. The monster swung it's hands for his body, with a yell. Andre held onto its hands, trying to push it off. He ignored as his hands began to break apart. The monster reached for his face, attempting to rip it off. Andre kneed its body for an effort. But, not powerful. The monster recoiled before continuing to suffocate him.

As his vision began to darken, his pressure burning his body, he began to sense loss of hope. The hope was starting to disappear but the hand on the holster didn't. Pulling the gun out, he slowly trained the gun on the monster's head. With a shot is enough for the monster to knock back. Andre got off and watched as the monster screeched, covering its head. Red, hot blood slithered past its hands. He approached the monster, kicking it to the trashed muscle car.

With the monster weakened, he grabbed onto it in the way the monster did to him. Andre charged the monster to the car's window, hitting the glass. The monster screeched louder than usual, squirming. He did the same process, smashing its head into the glass over and over until the glass completely broke apart. Instantly, he thrusted it's head into a long, sharp shard. The glass impaled the monster's brain, stopping its movement permanently.

Panting, he wiped his head with a sleeve and backed away. Andre noticed the monster twitched and making noises. He caught a glimpse of oil on the ground, leaking. Andre pulled out his gun once more and aimed at the oil. With a touch of the oil, the car set fire. The monster screamed in agony, burning it's body to the ground.

Andre watched it burn. Burning to hell. The monster was capable of massacring an entire army but not for long. He managed to destroy its body, avenging it's victims. Taking one last glance at the monster, burning into ash with the car, he walked away, listening to its voice dying down. He's expecting the police unit to be crazy over his long disappearance. Once he tells the tale, he'll be famous. His name will be on the headlines, everybody will be buzzing online about him and the best thing, he'll get a qualification as an actual detective.

But he didn't notice it. He may have destroyed its body but the soul remained in the air. A dark pair of wandering eyes, watched its body burn before hovering past the building in search for a new host. One host that may turn on themselves and destroy humanity.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. Sorry for the long wait. I was busy with stuff(GTA 5, yes). This is just a sneakpeak of the first chapter. The final chapter will replace the sneakpeak when it's time so be patient. Anyways, leave a review if you enjoyed it!**

 **Edit: I have decided this is the final version of the chapter. This is not a sneak peak but an actual chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Jaune**

"Come on Jaune! We're gonna be late!"

"Hold on!"

As the wind blew the curtains, Jaune rushed to the wardrobe and pulled out his jeans and sneakers. Slipping the shoes on, he took out his body armor and Crocea Mors, covering his Pumpkin Pete hoodie. As he tied his shoelaces, the T.V blared on.

"The investigation goes on of the Vale Central Mall massacre which resulted in multiple casualties, including the enforcement units and some of Atlas' soldiers. It is rumored that Corporal Taron Blum was one of the dead during the search. Police are looking into what the survivor had told them about a human-sized Grimm which bears a similarity to the legend of…"

"Jaune!"

"Coming!" He replied, turning off the T.V.

He opened the door, ready to move. His teammates, Ren, Pyrrha and Nora waited for him outside, in their battle uniforms.

"Alright, our brave leader is ready to fight the deadly Grimm!" Nora piped up. "Oh, I can't wait!"

"Nora, don't get overexcited," Ren told her. "We haven't got the debriefing from Ozpin."

The group left the dorm and walked outside to the headmaster's quarters.

"So, Jaune," Pyrrha said. "You're ready to fight?"

"Yep, totally ready."

"And you remembered what I told you last night?"

"Uh huh," He rolled his shoulders around, jumping up and down. "Just gotta relax and hit the weakest point."

She chuckled a bit. "Well then, let's see if what I taught you was worth it."

The group arrived at the office where team RWBY was already waiting. Ozpin sat on the desk, drinking coffee while Glynda watched them from beside. He got up and opened a holographic board.

"I hope you memorize what is going to happen in your newest mission," He stated. "To start off, we have received a report of unidentified Grimm roaming the Forever Fall. We currently have no information on what the Grimm's type is due to them being unknown."

Jaune still remembered the time where he was forced by the bully Cardin to throw a jar of sap to Pyrrha. Still, this incident never managed to go to Glynda.

"The teams will be heading in separate directions in order to dispatch whatever these Grimm are, swift and timely. The briefing notes are outside the office just in case you forget anything. But remember, this is not a training drill. Mistakes will get you killed. Do your best to avoid mistakes or you will die."

Normally, Jaune would freak the crap out if he was told any of this but because he has been improving for a while, he's sure that no problem will arise. What could go wrong? It's just as long as he doesn't freak out when he sees a large Ursa.

"Any questions?"

The clock just ticked on while no one responded.

"Very well. We'll issue a Bullhead to pick you up for Forever Fall. If you wish to train further in the last minute, please do so. You are now dismissed."

Everybody in the office walked out, before continuing where they left off. The group waited at the docks for the Bullhead arrived. While waiting, Jaune came up with the Vale mall massacre. Team RWBY doesn't really believe much about a Grimm entering a large, crowded mall. Weiss Schnee called it "absolute rubbish", believing the detective "mentally idiotic".

The bullhead arrived, picking them up before taking off for their mission. They arrived at their destination later than they thought. Normally, the bullhead would reach Forever Fall in like 15 minutes but for some reason, they arrived in half an hour.

As the bullhead stopped at the landing point, the hunters jumped out and landed on the soft grass of Fall. With their weapons up and branded, they searched around, analyzing the area.

"We shouldn't risk being in a large group. Let's split up." said Blake.

"Agreed." Weiss responded, before unsheathing her rapier.

RWBY headed to the left, where a path was while Jaune and his team headed right. As they walked past a wooden post with a warning sign, the birds chirped. Although Forever Fall sounds like a beautiful atmosphere, the eerie silence is what makes the forest suspicious. The brown leaves fell off trees like petals and the red soft ground made their feet feel like cushions. The last time they went there was a field trip, never a mission.

As they went past trees and logs, Nora began to tell unbelievable tales which Ren telling her to quieten down to avoid unwanted attention.

"And then, the mysterious monster was brought down by the heroes of Remnant! Team JNPR!"

"Nora, that story's excellent but keep your voice down, we can't risk anything coming after us." Ren told her.

Nora ignored his warning and bowed. "Thank you." She said in a formal voice before marching away, humming.

After half an hour of searching, nothing has been found. No trace of Grimm footprints, scent, nothing. It's like the Grimm is really smart and intelligent when it comes to being searched.

"Any luck?" Jaune asked the group.

"Nope! Nothing at all!" Nora replied, bored.

"This is strange," Pyrrha implied, scratching her head. "The Grimm normally attack on sight but this is different. It's nothing like we seen before."

"I have to agree with that." Ren responded.

"Should we ask Ruby if they found it? Her group is really good at it." Jaune suggested.

He shook his head. "No. I doubt they would find anything currently."

As they discussed in an open gap, a black figure flapped onto a branch, away from view. It lowered its wings and glared it's red eyes towards the group. Its entire body shaped like a Nevermore, such as the feathered wings and the head of one. Without a thought, it cawed loudly before flying off after it's target.

The group were just about to conclude their search before they heard a sound. A call of a Nevermore. It sounded oddly different. The voice didn't sound like a Nevermore but more of an human scream mixed with a Grimm's scream.

"What was that?" Jaune called.

"That must be a Nevermore!" Pyrrha confirmed, unsheathing her spear and shield.

The group did the same as she did and waited for the Grimm to arrive. In their battle stances, they glanced around.

"No?" Jaune said, still in his battle stance. "No Grimm or anything wacky?"

Pyrrha looked around, confused. "That is odd. Why isn't it coming?"

"Maybe it's taking a loo?" Nora implied.

"Nora, that's gross," Ren replied. "And no, I don't think Grimm would go take a toilet break while looking for humans like us."

"That might be a false call," said Pyrrha. "Let's keep moving." She sheathed her spear before walking off. The group followed her but still kept their guard down.

As they looked around, Jaune's scroll buzzed. He took the scroll off his pocket and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Guys! Did you hear that?" Ruby's voice chimed.

He looked back at his group. They must've fell for the trick too. "Yeah. We did. It's just a false call."

"What? I coulda sworn it was a Nevermore! Why wait and get tricked in the middle of a forest when there's Grimm to kill?"

A conversation was striking in Ruby's line. "Hey guys. Did you notice something strange about that call?"

She was a bit distracted. "Hmm? What's that?"

"The call? The way it cried?"

"Oh, uhhh… Nope! Didn't even hear at all."

"It sounded like a human! I bet it's some dunce trying to mess with us!" Weiss yelled from further.

Jaune had to agree with her for that. Why would a Grimm sound like a human?

"Anyway, guys. Just be caref-"

The same scream erupted again and this time it was close. It pierced into their ears like a nail into their eardrums. Jaune and the group dropped to the ground, covering theirs ears while the line with Ruby was still going.

"Jaune? You okay? What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Uhhh…"

Another caw. It sounded more human-like this time.

"What the-? Is that the same Nevermore coming at you right now?"

"Shit," He cursed. "Ruby, get here quick. Now. We need some serious backup!"

"Umm, okay! We're on our way!" The line died after that.

The group got themselves up and took out their weapons. As they looked around, distant flapping can be heard. Pyrrha transformed her spear into a musket while Nora held her grenade launcher. Jaune hid himself with a shield in case the Nevermore comes in. He lifted his head and stared at the leaves covering the sky.

It was in a blink of an eye, the leaves was punctured into a hole. A human-sized figure crashed in, cawing before reaching its legs out.

* * *

 **To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Last Breath**

The lunge was so out of nowhere Jaune didn't even see it coming.

The figure grasped on his shield, leaving a large scratch on his shield. Jaune leaped away in shock, landing on the leaves. As he scrambled to his feet, Pyrrha transformed her spear into a rifle and shot at the figure. The shot unleashed pierced through the figure's chest. It screeched before turning to its attacker. Jaune watched as the figure dived past Pyrrha's next shot before launching feathers from its right wing, surprising her. The feathers were just the same as the sharp feather spears that he encountered during initiation.

Before she had time to react, Ren jumped and pushed her away, narrowingly missing the feathers. Nora came to their help, pulling Pyrrha up. The team regrouped as the stared at the mysterious figure.

"Guys, what is that thing?" Jaune said, shocked.

"That I don't have the answer to," Pyrrha responded. "I haven't seen anything like this in my entire life." And it was true. She had faced Grimm fiercer and more dangerous but that is far beyond anything she's witnessed so far.

"Whatever it is, we need to hold off until team RWBY arrives." Ren suggested. Even Nora was scared of it.

The Nevermore-like figure charged with its wings, flying towards the group. Nora's attempt to smash her hammer down it's head failed as it swooped away from her grip before slamming her to the ground, knocking Nora away. Her hammer out of her grip as it slid towards the forest. Ren runs after her, getting her up. Suddenly, the Nevermore figure stared down at them and opened it's beak.

"Huntsmen? Huntresses? What a joke." It hissed.

"Did it just...Speak?" Ren whispered.

Pyrrha transformed her spear into Xiphos and formed her offensive attack she usually uses in every occasion. Unfortunately, the thing managed to prevent her attack and parried her sword. Behind Pyrrha, Ren goes for a mid-combat attack with Stormflower. The Nevermore figure peered past her and threw her at Ren, failing his attack. She flew at him and they both went tumbling down together.

Jaune remembered his training and rushed for it's back seeing an opportunity to strike. However, he wasn't expecting it to turn around and block his attack. The sword only managed to hit it's arm, like it's made out of steel. He recoiled, losing control of his sword which exposed his vulnerability. Jaune felt a sudden pain in his stomach as he rocketed away before crashing into a tree with his sword and shield thrown away. His vision began to blur as he watched his own team fight the thing and failing miserably.

Ren tried to use his martial arts skill, mixed with his Stormflower to take it down but it's reflexes are way too fast, causing him to be knocked out by the Nevermore figure. Nora, in horror to see her friend fall, charged at the thing, trying to do her "Nora Smash" thingy. But, instead winds up missing her target as the Nevermore figure had reflexes similar to Ren before thrashing its hand at her, swiping her away. She fell to the ground, with her Aura glowing frantically. As Nora staggered to pull herself up, Pyrrha ran past her and went for its weak spot.

The legs. Cutting its legs can disarm the thing and give them the advantage to escape. The Nevermore figure threw its wings forward, with another batch of quill spears. She managed to shield herself and slid downwards, watching the quills ricochet. She went for its legs, about to slice it off. But before she could even do it, the figure flipped forwards charging her head first causing Pyrrha to lose control and screw up her timing to slide back up. She managed to get back on her feet and turned Milo back into it's javelin form. The Nevermore figure charged at Pyrrha, catching her by surprise but she managed to block most of it's attacks. The only thing catching her suspicion is it's superior ability to fight like it learnt self-defense and martial arts.

She managed to parry its attack with her javelin pushing it's arm away and fighting back. As Pyrrha planned her offense attack, Nora crawled her way to Magnhild, next to Ren's motionless body. She pulled it to her side and transformed it into a grenade launcher, pulling herself up later. Aiming her sights at the figure fighting Pyrrha, Nora inhaled and fired. The grenade went right at the monstrous figure looking like it's going to hit it. In horror, she watched as the launcher meant for the figure miss as it jumped and flipped, not before it reaches Pyrrha instead. The explosion knocked her away, foiling her strategy. Pyrrha slammed against a tree stump before falling onto her face.

The figure went back down in style and glanced at Pyrrha's body before turning to Nora. It's red eyes glowed before throwing another batch of quills at her. As she stared in horror, the quills didn't impale her but rather trapping her to a tree. Her clothes were stuck to the quills, hanging on the trees. Magnhild was released shortly from her hand.

As Nora struggled to break free, The figure went towards Pyrrha and lifted her up.

"How amusing," It spoke. "I was told you were better than this." The figure threw Pyrrha to the ground, making her body bounce out of sight.

It was able to track her down with enhanced vision at a disclosed area and looked down at her.

"What's the matter? Did you forget your training? Aren't you meant to fight Grimm and save lives?" It snarled, taunting her and lifting her up again. "Cause all I see is a bunch of wusses lazing on the ground!" It threw a punch at her, enough to drain her Aura.

"Oh, don't tell me. You CHEATED?" It chuckled like an evil clown. "You're such a disappointment to your heritage! I bet your family would scorn at your face if they see your face again." It threw her body back to where her team is.

As the figure continued to taunt her, with words she can't read out due to her Aura draining, Jaune's vision managed to return. Although tired, he managed to rise up. The figure currently held a quill on it's right hand.

"The quill will not only make you bleed. It will deplete your entire Aura," Its hollow laugh echoed before dying down. "Hope you had your fun, because soon you won't be having any more."

Pyrrha's last thoughts were her times with Jaune and her glory with her team. She wished those could be done again. But the time has passed. It's already too late to get back.

Just before it can thrust the quill into her, somebody came to the rescue.

"Jaune?" She choked.

His face was covered in bruises. Dirt on his cheek and an aching body but that's not going to stop him from saving his partner. He held onto the figure, trying to strangle it while it tirelessly shook Jaune around to get him off. As they held on, Pyrrha took this as a chance and slammed her hand onto its arm. The figure roared and threw her away. Pyrrha watched Jaune as he clung to the figure, trying to rip off its wings. But in a blink, the figure jumped off and disappeared into the sky, taking Jaune with him. As she prayed for Jaune's safety, team RWBY finally arrived at the scene.

"What happened?" Ruby cried out. "Is everyone alright? Where's Jaune?"

"I'm fine but the thing. It took Jaune away." Pyrrha responded.

"This is not good news indeed," Weiss said and prepared her rapier. "I'll go find him."

"No! It might be dangerous."

Weiss stared at her, confused on her opinion.

"Trust me. You don't want to know how strong it is. It overpowered us like it knows what it's doing."

Weiss hesitated but sighed. "Fine. Let's just get the rest to Beacon and hope for the best Jaune survives." Pyrrha nodded.

The only thing she's just wondering is, how long would Jaune be in the sky with that thing. She looked back and headed off, helping everyone else and wishing Jaune's luck.

* * *

"Get off, you rat!"

Jaune ignored his threat as he held onto the figure, punching it while getting thrown around. He felt the cool wind blowing his face off. Normally, he's scared of heights like that time in Initiation but he has forgotten about it. Jaune held onto its wings before slipping. Clinging onto the wing, he reached for the figure's head, covering its face. The quill on its right hand, went into Jaune's armor plate, piercing through his body.

He grunted, with his Aura about to deplete. The monster stared in glee before still trying to kick him off. Suddenly, Jaune managed to pull the quill out and threw it back into it's chest. It shouted and held onto its chest before finally kicking him off. Jaune's grip was unable to hold as his Aura began to shimmer.

At first, he thought he was dreaming. This ain't a dream anymore. He's literally falling to his death. Jaune eventually had high hopes and wished for one last luck. But luck isn't going to save him this time. His head suddenly collided with a tree branch. A loud crackling was heard and he felt nothing else. Jaune fell onto to the leaf-covered ground, face-to-face and tumbled down the hill. With every hit, he lost a small bar of Aura quickly. His body smashed into a tree before continuing to tumble not until there was a flat surface.

He rolled over, sprawled around. His Aura glowed furiously as his body was brutally smashed. His body suffered cuts, bleeding wounds, and a pair of missing teeth. However, despite his face being a bloody mess, his vision was still present but blurry.

So this is it, huh? He thought. That's what death is like? The damage he received from the fall couldn't be fixed, no matter how many surgeons he had or used. It's over. His life is done. That was his last day. Well, at least he still had some laughs, didn't he?

He appreciated the help his team had put in but it's no use when he's not alive. They'll find out eventually. But now, it's time for him to go to sleep.

As his vision began to blacken and blood formed around him, a figure walked up to his stretched body. It was female apparently, wearing a dress and high heels. The figure's eyes sparked a flame before his eyes shut for real.

It was official. Jaune Arc had died trying to save his teams' lives.

* * *

 **Here's the latest chapter. Sorry it took a month to do as I was busy but it should be forgiven once I am finished. Also, thanks to DragonManMax for beta-reading the chapter. Anyways, see you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A Night of Pain**

"This is Lisa Lavender, reporting from Vale. Citizens of Remnant are left horrified after discovering the death of a young Huntsman in training. Police have found Jaune Arc, student of Beacon Academy and leader of team JNPR, dead during a mission in Forever Fall. It is reported that he and his team were hunting down a mysterious Grimm that has been yet to be identified, which almost costed his teams' lives. Pyrrha Nikos, member of JNPR, champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament and partner of Mr Arc has yet to release a statement regarding his death. Investigation has commenced as soon as his death was confirmed-"

"Turn that off!" A blonde called. The woman beside him picked up the controller and switched to another channel.

Team RWBY and the rest of Jaune's team waited, sitting on leather chairs in the waiting room of a private hospital, owned by Beacon Academy. None of them were smiling. Not even the bubbly Nora, holding onto Ren's arm while his grim expression held. The open windows shone light into the pitch black night outside.

Ruby at the opposite side, had tears running down her face. She didn't bother using the tissues or eat any of the cookies on the coffee table. There were magazines of weaponry and books that normally cheered her up but that is where she ignored it. Weiss, next to her, had a reaction similar to Ren. Although Jaune's cheesy pickup lines and awkward conversations made her flinch and wish she didn't have to deal with them, he didn't deserve this. Nobody does.

Yang, next to Ruby, held her arm over her shoulder, comforting her. But Ruby didn't even bother to look at her sister. She didn't move her hand away, but she needed time alone. It was even a time to think. She only wished for this to be a dream. A bad, bad dream. But it's reality. It's the real world. Everybody faces situations like this.

Pyrrha on the other side, didn't shed a tear. Her eyes were dimmed like a cloud covering her face. She just lost her partner. All day, she blamed herself for not protecting him harder. Her feelings began to tangle along with her sorrow and pain. After a couple of minutes, Ozpin came out of the operating room, with a stern look and hands clutching on his cane. He turned to his students.

"Children," He cleared his throat. "If you want to see Jaune before he is sent off, now is the time."

They stood up and followed Ozpin. Ever since Jaune's death, Ozpin has been sent with letters and emails, regarding Jaune's death. He was ridiculed, harassed on social media for sending a least-skilled student on a suicide mission. Even Ironwood sent a letter, warning him to make things right or he will lose his position. He read neither of them except Ironwoods'. Every time Glynda appeared with a pile of letters, he ordered her to dispose of them.

He turned and listened to the cries and sobbing of his students. He's certain that they would never get over his death. But time will pass and they'll remember him for what he was.

But little did he notice, across the hallway, a green-haired person saw the whole thing. As soon as Ozpin turned to find the noise, she moved away from his view. In case of getting caught, she placed her fingers on her temple. As Ozpin checked the hallway, he noticed a woman in casual attire walk by to where he is. But there was no one walking towards him. The hallway was empty except the receptionist. Convinced Ozpin was distracted, she moved away and left the hospital.

* * *

 **Unknown Warehouse**

The ticking surrounded a small office. A green-haired girl and a white spiked boy stood by the desk of a woman with a red fiery dress.  
"So, Emerald. You're telling me a young Huntsman has been killed by a Grimm?"

"Yes, ma'am," The girl, Emerald said. "I went into the hospital and heard about it. As soon as I did, I left and reported the news to you."

The woman clicked her teeth. "That's a shame." Her lips curled into a small grin. "But it's an advantage."

She got off the chair and walked past the two. With her hands around her back, she slowly went up to the door.

"With a Huntsman dead, that means the remaining hunters are struck with emotion and it will attract more Grimm. The White Fang can advance with their weapon supplies without any more interruptions."

"Have to agree," The silver-haired said. "For the past few days, the supplies haven't even made a move 'cause those stupid kids had to make a mess. Roman couldn't do a single thing, not even his ice-cream partner."

The woman raised her hand to the door knob and turned around. "That is true, Mercury. But, because of the death of a huntsman, we can run operations more smoothly." She opened the door and walked out. There, she gazed around the surroundings. A forklift at the ground floor, drove to a truck and lifted a box up while the White Fang soldiers approached the truck and carried the weapons crates.

"Then, I'll hack into their systems. Get access to their weak spots. And at last... We'll strike at the Vytal Festival, unleashing Grimm as well as our forces into their weak spots. They won't even stand a chance. Mistral's next..."

Emerald and Mercury nodded in approval as she went on. It's true. She always wished for something like this to happen. This can bring an army of Grimm and improve raids and supply shippings. The woman turned to Emerald.

"Emerald. Tell Roman the good news and get him to prepare for the next raid. Mercury. Make sure Adam is doing what he must be doing. If he refuses to cooperate, then I'll figure what to do with him."

They both nodded and went off to their duty. As they headed to the exit, her eyes burst to flames and shone across the warehouse as the White Fang packed the weapons crates from the trucks as more Bullheads and vehicles with supplies arrive.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

It was midnight and he hadn't moved for an hour.

The office was empty except for the headmaster, sitting on his leather chair with piles of letters and unread notifications on his computer. He turned to the window, viewing the bright night with the shattered moon accompanying. With a sigh, he took a sip of a hot, bitter drink from his mug, tapping on the brim. Just then, he heard the door slid open. Glynda walked in with a pad held to her hand and a kettle in the other.

"Sir, I received a letter for you. It's from the Council of Vale-"

Ozpin knew it was another angry letter from them and interrupted. "I know. Dispose of it."

She looked at him like he had drunk too much before placing the kettle and the pad near his desk. "Sir, this is serious. We lost a huntsman and you have done nothing to fix any of this!"

"It's something I can deal with. I just need to think."

"You've been saying that for the whole day! You had time to think." She responded bluntly.

"Glynda, you've been saying the same thing all over," He snapped. "Every time you come in, you say there's a letter for me. I tell you to dispose of it, and you come back with another!"

"It's your job to train students to fight against the danger of Grimm! I trusted you in this!" She said. "You're a headmaster. You've trained students in your life! I thought you were better in this!"

"I am not better!" He slammed his hands onto the table, making the mug bounce. Glynda was taken back from his unexpected response. Ozpin looked at her and sighed. "I am not better."

He sat back down, adjusting his spectacles. "I have told Ruby I've made more mistakes than any man, woman or child can make. This is one of them."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying sending your students to take out the mysterious Grimm was a mistake?"

"Part of it was. I was wrong to send Jaune out like this."

"You mean sending Mr. Arc was a mistake?"

Ozpin didn't respond. The silence did. He turned to look at her.

"Glynda, send in an announcement. We'll be commencing a funeral for him in two days. Attendance is mandatory."

Glynda was about to ask him another question but stopped herself. "Yes, sir." She took her pad and left the office.

Ozpin watched the door close again before staring back at the desk. He picked up the kettle and poured the boiled water into the coffee machine. Then he started to ponder before reaching out to Glynda.

"Glynda!" He called, stopping her tracks. "Hand me the Council's letter."

She was confused at first but didn't bother arguing any further and handed it to him. He adjusted his spectacles as Glynda walked off. Ozpin ripped open the envelope and pulled out a folded paper. After unfolding it, he examined the letter. It was handwritten,assumely by a black pen.

* * *

 **Dear Ozpin,**

 **We are writing this to discuss problems, regarding the Forever Fall mission. This is not another fuming letter unlike the others you have received. We need to talk about the unidentified Grimm roaming the Forever Fall. The police have been investigating on this behalf and have yet to find any evidence linking to the mysterious Grimm. We assume that you are aware of the mysterious Grimm that has been previously killed at the Vale Central Mall, because this attack may be linked to the Forever Fall Grimm. You have been invited to the Vale Council Meeting, alongside Ms Goodwitch. Attendance is compulsory. We will continue the discussion on this topic and will hope for a resolution.**

 **We look forward to seeing you there.**

 **Regards,**

 **Pevern Star, Chairman of the Vale Council**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Rebirth**

A thunder cracked, enough to startle a child's rest.

Jaune was suddenly awoken by that unpleasant noise. His head was pounding and that weak brain of his lost concentration. The environment he was in looked like he's in some sort of Afterlife where the dead rest. However, it didn't look much of a peaceful environment with the dark red clouds covering up the sky and a crack of thunder piercing through the clouds. The ground he was standing on felt like standing from the tower of Beacon Academy.

He glanced down at himself. His body looked completely fine. No twisted parts, blood-soaked clothes or anything that looked worse than being murdered by a Grimm. He didn't really feel concerned on asking himself whether what happened was a dream but was curious about where he is.

Suddenly, the ground he stood on began to crack and then tumble down. He later found himself falling down the red and black(also some hint of white) sky just seconds after appearing. As he fell, Jaune noticed some flashbacks appearing in the clouds, mostly his attempts to hit on Weiss, training with Pyrrha, hanging out with his team and getting bullied by Cardin. While falling, the flashbacks faded and hole below him closed in.

Jaune landed, believing he died again. However, his eyes blinked marking the fact he is indeed alive. Jaune later got himself up, dusting his clothes and checking his face for injuries. He looked around, finding himself in some hole from above with nothing else.

As he observed, a voice caught his attention. Jaune's head went for the direction of the voice. Surprisingly, it was team RWBY and the rest of his team waiting for him across the clouds. He knew the voice came from Ruby, marked from how high her voice was. Jaune had an excited feeling but somehow had doubt that was controlling his feelings. But Jaune ignored his doubt. It was his friends. What else can make him feel happy. He shouted back, with his loud voice but something went wrong. He couldn't hear his voice. Surrounded by confusion and doubt returning for a rematch, he tried shouting again. Nothing happened. The third time, his voice came to life but was only a rasp squeak. Still baffled over that strange voice, he checked back on Ruby.

Ruby was smiling at first but her smile began to fade and quiver. Her eyes started to water before she completely broke down. Her team behind her started to fall in despair before filling with guilt. Yang went up to Ruby and wrapped her arms around to comfort her while Blake and Weiss watched in guilt. After that, everybody fell apart. Nora cried, hugging Ren while Pyrrha was horrified. Jaune tried to call out, thinking he can convince them not to cry but his voice remained rasp. Desperate, he ran.

He suddenly came to realize he's not even moving, making him look like a total moron. Looking down, he saw his legs running in motion but no movement was made. There was no need to explain. Jaune can't run to his friends and they kept on falling apart. After a while later, their emotional breakdowns came to a stop. Jaune stared at them, thinking they have calmed down. In a blink, their expressions changed. Every single person, including Pyrrha, curled into a snarl.

Jaune blinked in confusion. He watched them stare at him in anger without saying a single word. Was it because he didn't come for them or did they just intended to do so? Before he can wander further, he noticed the group leave one by one. They all gave him one last scowl before turning away and dissolving into pieces. The last one was Pyrrha. Jaune began to smirk in delight, glad someone stayed. But instead of saying anything, she pulled out a piece of paper before tearing it apart and throwing it.

Jaune watched as the torn paper flew away, blown to the abyss of nowhere. He looked back to Pyrrha, only to find her turning her back and leaving. He called out her name, begging her to return but she too turned into pieces. His voice had yet returned and still kept that stupid raspy voice. After a second of rejection, he noticed the torn paper fly towards him. He held his hands high to catch. Before he was able to grab one, the ground suddenly cracked again, sending him falling.

As he fell, he noticed spikes right below. It was lucky for him to pass through the spikes, although they aren't sharp. Suddenly, Jaune saw a white hole which made him think that he's going to the real Afterlife. Suddenly, the white hole turned into a Grimm-like ghost opening it's mouth. As soon as he saw it, he went on screaming as he soon became dinner.

* * *

His body rocketed forward, completely startling him.

Jaune panted heavily, shocked by whatever was happening. He looked around as he panted. Jaune noticed himself in a dim room with a surgery table placed near him and a window beside. There was also a couple of desks and drawers scattered around. The room looked something of a hospital. Jaune looked down and found a white sheet covering his body and a tag on his toe.

He tore off the sheets, finding himself stripped to just his underwear and sat up before pulled the tag off his toe. The tag had a date written, which is basically yesterday. Why does he have a death tag on him? Since when did he die? He has completely no idea what's this about. Finished with the tag, he rest it aside and got off the table he was on.

Jaune searched the room for his belongings and also clothes. He can't leave the hospital naked and cold with nothing in his pockets. He walked up to the drawers, emptying the slots. Most of it were just files and papers that don't matter at all. Jaune went up to the drawer near the door and found his wallet and scroll packed together. He checked the wallet and turned on his scroll. His wallet still had lien inside. Now, for the clothes.

He had to leave the room to find clothes since there aren't any uniforms in the room. He crept through the hallway, looking for at least a bin of something he can wear. As he went by, he almost saw a guard across the hallway. Jaune swept away from view and hid behind the wall. He waited until he was out of sight before Jaune eventually was able to continue.

After checking the corridors, Jaune went into a room and found a rack, containing his clothes and armor plates. He nicked them off the rack and got changed immediately. As soon as he was changed, he inserted his belongings into his pockets and looked for a way out. He went for the stairs, almost got caught by a guard and at last, managed to leave the hospital by going through a window at the ground floor. He had to break the window first which attracted sound before jumping off and crashing into a dumpster.

After climbing out of the dumpster and arriving at the streets, he soon noticed he was on his own. His knees became extremely weak that Jaune had to limp to move. The street he was in was mostly a dump. There was only a couple of lamps covering the dark path with the rest covered up. Across the street was an abandoned park with no lights and a cheap pub beside it. Later, two men came out wasted and limped their way to their left while talking trash and exchanging insults.

Jaune ignored the racket and kept moving. As he limped his way to a nearby lamp post, his vision suddenly blurred before flashing disturbing imagery. Jaune lost balance and tripped over to a trash can on his left. The bin fell off, spilling rubbish as Jaune fell onto the bin. He pulled himself up, covered in rubbish stench.

His vision continued to flash with everything he's seeing turning into chunks of dust. All while trying to prevent himself from falling to the ground. Jaune bumped himself to a wall, rubbing his eyes. Unaware, his eyes turned from light blue to dark red. Jaune's stomach began to ease up, prompting him to feel something coming out of his throat. He stumbled towards an alley and fell onto a pile of garbage bags before puking. He retched, spitting out consumed food and paste. As he threw up, he doesn't notice company coming near him.

Three men, possibly thugs that rob people at midnight, strolled to the alley he was in before stopping. The man in a red track jacket with a chain over his neck and gold aviators, presumably the leader, turned to see a stranger throwing up.

"Oi, look what we got here." Track jacket man pointed towards Jaune before nodding for his friends to follow him.

They went up to Jaune, who just finished his vomit. Track jacket man went up to him close and grabbed onto his collar.

"Hey, Imma help ya." He growled, punching Jaune in the face, Blood came out of his nose as he fell.

His friends behind cheered on and applaused. The guy in a sleeveless hoodie, donning a cap with tattoos encasing his neck and arms called out. "Ayyy, good one Dean!"

Jaune crashed back onto the concrete and watched as the man called Dean bent over him.

"Oh my God. I am so sorry." He didn't sound like he was sorry. "Here, lemme crush that bloody face of yours!" He grabbed onto Jaune and punched him. Blood poured out as his nose bruised.

His tattooed friend came to his help, holding Jaune in a helpless position. The third guy in a leather jacket with sleeves rolled up, walked towards him and watched as Dean pummeled and kicked Jaune and letting his third friend have a turn. As they were beating him up, they don't notice a slight change towards his veins turning black and his grunts turning into a bit of an bear. The men stopped beating and threw him to a wall. Jaune whimpered as he tried to escape.

"Who do ya think ya are, comin' to a shithole like here?" Dean yelled. "Ya don't look like a tough guy, ya just look like a little pussy."

"A big little pussy." His friend added.

Jaune couldn't respond or try to protect himself. He was tired and his stomach hurt.

"And what's with the plates on ya, huh? Ya tryin' to be a Hunstman? Cause those "Hunstman" don't look like shit!"

"Those Huntresses look so hot, I wanna fuck 'em all in the arsehole." The tattooed friend said. He was clearly a pervert.

"Not if I get to her first, Hayden!" The other responded. "That blondie and her bitch friends, so sexy! I wanna suck her pussy and her large tits!" Jaune knew he had wet dreams about Yang.

As they went on about having sex with the hunters, they don't notice Jaune holding himself up. He begins to vomit again, this time blood came out. His hands growing claws and horns slightly coming out of his arms with veins exposed through his neck and forearms. His head slowly begins to turn black from his feet to almost his head. They didn't even hear a single sound of crackling.

"Aw, fuck those bitches. They ain't worth crap." Dean was in the middle of talking to his friends and turned his head, finding Jaune vomiting. He walked up to him and kicked his body to the ground.

"HEY! Ya think I was done with ya? Cause I ain't goin' home without a fight!"

The three continued beating up Jaune, right to the point he was tired. He fell to the ground, covered in his own blood and vomit. The men looked at him, wondering what to do next. They didn't hear any odd growling since his face was stuck to the ground.

"He dead?" The leather jacket guy whispered.

"He ain't dead till his brains are out." The tattooed guy, named Hayden replied. "You gonna finish him or what?"

"Hell to the no. I ain't getting my sneakers covered in brain guts."

"You can't do shit, Josh," Dean pushed Josh away and went up to the unconscious Jaune. "I gotta do everything myself."

He lifted his feet up and prepared to crush his brains. At the last minute of touching his head, his foot stopped. Dean looked in confusion of what just happened and gasped.

Jaune's skin is completely black with veins exposed. His hands gripped onto his leg harder with claws encasing his sock. The back of his head was bald white and red veins popped out of his neck. His head began to slowly turn with crackling to make it even horrifying. As soon as his head was turned to face the thugs who beated him, the thugs stared in horror, including the tough Dean. Jaune's face was nothing but a monster drawn from a legend. His eyes were changed into large glowing blobs and his mouth opened showing numerous teeth and fangs. As soon as they saw his horrifying face, he opened wide and dug onto Dean's leg.

He cried out, struggling to break free while his friends pulled him off the monster. He was soon knocked away but his leg was severely bit with blood leaking out his jeans and covering his shoes. They turned towards the monster. Jaune was already up. His clothes were still intact but his eyes stared into their souls. He panted with a like of a Beowulf and roared. Hayden and Josh backed away while carrying Dean with them. The monster swiped it's lengthy arms around, showing it's claws.

Dean, angrily yelled at his friends and pointed at the thing. "D-Don't just stand there you stupid shits! Kill that monster! Kill it!"

The two looked at Jaune before looking for something to fight with. Hayden nicked off a bin lid while Josh broke off a pipe. They both glanced at each other before charging at the thing. Jaune roared and punched the bin lid off Hayden before pushing away Josh's pipe and grabbing his neck. He thrusted it's claws through his face. Josh's wriggling stopped as Jaune pulled away what he just grabbed on. A tongue and half a jaw. He threw Josh's body towards the wall before turning to Hayden without a weapon.

He looked around and picked up a pair of scissors from the ground. They both charged and fought. Hayden managed to evade the thing's claws and stabbed it's neck. The monster grunted and pulled the blood-coated scissors off it, throwing it down. Hayden frantically searched for something else, only to be knocked away by it's punch. As he slammed to the ground, his cap flew off onto the garbage. He crawled off, trying to escape his next nightmare only to be pulled away towards the monster. It stabbed it's claws to his upper leg, causing him to cry out before stabbing his back and then his grabbing onto his face.

Jaune roared and slammed his body to the wall, letting him slide down. As soon as Hayden opened his eyes, the thing crushed his head with it's feet. Blood and brain guts sprawled over the brick wall. The monster panted and growled with it's nose puffing out smoke, turning towards it's last target. Dean.

Dean got himself up, while holding his bitten leg. Knowing he can't fight while holding his leg, he charged and roared at the monster that murdered his friends. The monster had still grabbed hold of his arm and neck. Instead of stabbing him, Jaune threw him to the wall and tossed him out to the farther alley. He landed with a thud. His glasses was dangling onto his ear and his red jacket was covered in dirt. He looked up towards his bitten leg, knowing he can't fight any further. Without a choice, he tried negotiating.

"W-Wait, please d-don't hurt me. I didn't mean nuthin' by any of this." He begged.

Jaune glared at him and clambered up to him, ignoring what he said.

"Please! Don't kill me, I-I was just jokin' back 'ere!" He chuckled nervously.

Jaune was slowly convinced to run faster and clambered increasingly fast.

"Please! Don't do this! I don't wanna-"

He was still unconvinced and because he was close, it was too late. He roared loudly while Dean screamed on for dear life.

* * *

 **To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Blood for Blood**

As he leaped off a roof, he grunted from a rough landing.

Jaune panted as he clambered past a vandalised billboard without a glance. He eventually skidded to a stop and gazed upon the view. His enhanced vision through his glowing eyes made the skyline more visible and worth chasing after. His nose twitched and his stomach gurgled. He hadn't ate anything ever since waking up, although the only meal he had was a delicate thug's head. The sensing of the heart made his mouth water. Shame that he couldn't eat the tender body since the thug was just full of bone since he tore him apart like a full roast chicken.

He let out a short roar before bouncing off the roof and landing onto a van, leaving a huge dent and letting off the alarm. Ignoring the ringing noise, Jaune jumped onto a street light before swinging off to reach for a neon sign. As he gripped onto the sign, the electricity began to shimmer and died.

Jaune lifted himself up and jumped across the street to another street light and jumped off before it fell off, landing onto a car. By the time he crushed the car with his own feet, he already leaped off and onto another roof. Jaune's nose sniffed and his head cocked in every direction. Suddenly, he heard voices. They sounded timid and soft and it looked like it came from the east direction. He grunted clambered his way to his next target.

* * *

The lamp nearby shone dimly towards a warehouse.

The area wasn't used at most, which left it dirty and unused. Since then, it has become a hideout for a bunch of criminals to hide or set a deal. Which currently is happening right now.

A group of men stood by the entrance of the warehouse while doing other things like smoking or just conversing with each other. There were also beat-down sedans next to them. Some of the men wore mostly bomber jackets with beanies while some had hoods over their caps with a jacket covering their hoodie. Most of them weren't much enthusiastic about their attire.

"We look ridiculous in those outfits." A member whinged.

"I know right," Another one agreed. "They feel like crap. Don't even understand why we need this shit anyway."

"Shut your mouths, all of you." A man called. He was the only one not wearing a hat and only wore a check shirt. "We're doing something for our own good and you whine about your outfits? Grow some maturity."

The men were silent eventually.

The man, assumed to be the leader, continued. "We have a bag of lien to deliver. The clients are coming and they will not be impressed if our behavior continues like this."

The group stayed silent but still, grumbled in their breaths. The leader turned to one of the men, standing near a car.

"Is the bag inside?" He asked. The man opened the boot and showed him a sports bag before zipping it off. The leader took the bag and checked a bag of lien wrapped in bands. He hummed, before handing the bag to the other person.

As they waited while hearing the men converse, a rev was heard nearby. As soon as they heard it, everybody stopped talking and went into position. The leader walked to the middle while the man with the bag stood next to him. While they waited, a curved object twirled behind his back before hiding back into his shirt. The car arrived, with loud music playing inside. The car came to a comeplete stop before its headlights turned off and the music dying out. 4 people jumped out of the car, with one of them carrying a similar bag and walked towards the leader. Their buyers are possibly a local gang from the west, based on their clothes they wear. Hoodies over their caps, baggy jeans and t-shirts and singlets. The buyers went up to the leader before a brief silence.

"You look…" The leader commented. "Persuadable."

"Bro, it's not what we look like. It's what we are and we don't give two shits. Now, you got the cash?" The buyer said.

"If you have the dust, then we do."

"Yeah, we got your dust," A man behind the buyer responded. "Why do ya think we be breaking into a Schnee's warehouse?"

"Man shut the hell up and give me that bag," The buyer growled, before being handed the bag. He extended the bag to the leader. "Here it is."

The leader reached his hand for the bag before being interrupted.

"And the money." He scoffed

Staring at the buyer, the leader hesitated. The buyer, raising an eyebrow, called out.

"Hey! The money. Hand it now."

He still didn't give him the bag.

"Are you fucking deaf? I said give me the fucking money, now!"

Finally, he sighed and turned to him. "You know. The way you act towards me and how you act when I don't give you the lien is something I'm not putting up with." He handed the bag to the man next to him.

"The fuck you goin' about, huh? We had a deal!"

"Deal? What is this "Deal" you're talking about?"

Fed up with his smart talk, he responded. "Fine then. Here's a new deal. Give us the fucking money, and we give you the dust! Here. Happy now?"

The leader chuckled shorty. "I like how you overreact to something that wasn't actually made, yet you humans think it was. So interesting."

"I swear, if you don't cut that shit, I'm gonna-" He suddenly stopped.

The leader looked at him and smirked. "What's wrong? Ran out of threats?"

The buyer's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is that thing behind your back?" He pointed at him.

His friends followed his finger, which leads to a curved object behind the leader's back.

"What thing?" He asked.

The buyer eventually stared at his neck. A painted wolf with claws on it. He turned to the men behind him before turning to the leader.

"You're a Faunus, aren't you?" He uttered, reluctantly.

Even better, he smiled. "Yes."

As soon as he said it, the men behind him threw off their caps and their hoods, including the man next to the leader, revealing a pair of animal ears on every one of them. The buyer and his friends stared at each of them with eyes of anger and shock.

"So, are you finally convinced to give us the dust?"

The buyer finally responded by running back. "Fuck this! Let's get outta here!"

The buyer got inside the car while his friends followed.

"Hey! You haven't given us the dust."

"Fuck you animal scum, you ain't gettin' shit!" He shouted back, starting the car up. "And you can keep that money of yours!"

The leader eventually ordered. "Open fire!"

The men instantly pulled out rifles and pistols, aiming at the buyer's car. Bullets sprayed the car, narrowingly missing the buyer and his friends. Even the leader pulled out a pistol and fired several shots, aiming for the tires. The car reversed before spinning back to the front and driving off. The gunfire stopped and bullets clattered.

The leader lowered his gun and cursed. "Damnit! We almost got the dust."

"What do we do now? We can't return to base empty-handed." The man beside him asked, obviously worried.

The leader slid his gun into his pants and walked to their cars. "We're going after them and we need to silence them."

Before he can even open the door, a loud crash echoed. At first, he thought the buyer lost control, only to hear something very different. A loud scream came out from someone before being cut off with a crush, followed by more screamings and a crushing noise which ended with a strange growl and a car alarm.

Everyone at the spot stood still as the street lamps blacked out one by one. One man even noticed something past the gate behind them. The growls become close as the lights at the warehouse flicker and shut off, not before a figure appeared on the roof. The leader turned around and watched in surprise as the men aim their weapons at that thing above them. The figure growled and roared before the carnage began.

* * *

 **Morning**

Natural light shone through the windows of Ozpin's office as he had his morning coffee. As he shifted out of his chair, he picked his cane and walked towards the window. Gazing at the skyscraper and the mountains behind, he sighed and went to his desk. As he sat down, the scroll rang. Ozpin picked the scroll and answered.

"Beacon Academy calling." He said.

"Hi, umm… is Headmaster Ozpin here? It's important." The receiver asked. He didn't sound so amused.

"Funny you should ask. I am indeed speaking."

"Right… umm. This is about your student, Jaune Arc. Something's happened."

Ozpin's face turned to doubt. "Mr Arc? What happened?"

"Well, this morning, our nurses came to collect him for the funeral and umm… uhh..." He was out of words.

"What is it?" said Ozpin.

He took a deep breath. "His body's missing."

* * *

 **To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, sorry for the 2 month hiatus. I've been really busy with life and didn't get the chance to write. But I'm here right now so here's chapter 6 of Grimm Inside Me! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Panic**

Sometimes, being a detective isn't as easy as it seems.

Ever since the Unidentified Grimm Form(UGF for short) was taken out during the Vale Central Mall massacre, Andre Hilltop's fame rose. His names have been on headlines, the VNN and was the talk of the kingdom. But things went downhill for Hilltop.

2 days later, a post was released anonymously, calling out on Hilltop. The post claimed he was lying about the UGF incident and only made the topic up for personal gain. The post initially received backlash but later, people went to his defense, agreeing the fact Andre only wanted fame and fortune to pursue his career.

After the post was released, Hilltop became a target of ridicule and was charged with fraud. Whenever citizens saw Hilltop's face, they would shout insults, calling him a disgrace to Remnant. One time on the way to court, the whole city came crowding the streets and went on ridiculing him that Andre had to hire a Riot Squad to control the ruthless mob.

The court was filled with camera crews, journalists, and reporters. Andre had evidence that could prove he wasn't lying about the UGF incident. Unfortunately, his only evidence was all tell, nothing to show. He was almost about to be sentenced to 25 years until the court was unable to find proof the post was true. In the end, the charges were dropped and Andre walked free with his career and reputation in shambles.

Staring out at the windows one last time, Hilltop spat out his cigarette before winding up the windows. He took the next right turn to the beachside and arrived at his destination. Passing a burnt car beside a light post, he drove up to a couple of police cruisers parked at the front with tape covering the entrance before coming to a complete stop.

Hilltop swiped his leather jacket off the passenger seat before getting off the car and approaching the crime scene.

A pair of cops gave him a glare as he went past. Ignoring the cops, he walked past several blankets and cones before noticing an officer standing beside 3 parked vehicles, each of them with dents and bullet holes. Behind him, 3 officers in hazmat suits were examining the vehicles, ignoring whoever was behind them. Hilltop approached the officer with a clear throat. Surprisingly, it's the same officer he met from the Vale Central Mall.

"Was wondering when you'd show up." said the officer.

"Traffic," Andre replied. "Anyway, what we got?"

The officer pointed at the vehicles. "A 187. Several bodies were found when police arrived. No reports of evidence or an individual fleeing from the scene. Possibly a drug deal gone wrong with all participants dead."

"Can I see the bodies?" Andre asked.

The officer took him to one of the bodies. He lifted the blanket off the corpse, revealing a horrifying sight. Hilltop almost gagged.

The corpse was a male. His head was almost ripped off from the neck. His torso had torn wounds and a bone was poking out. Hilltop turned his head back to the body and examined.

"Something's unusual about the body." Hilltop uttered.

"Pardon?" The officer said, unaware of what he said.

"The wounds on the body," Hilltop said. "Something doesn't ring a bell about them."

"What are you talking about? Those wounds look they were from a knife to me."

"If they were stab wounds, then how did whoever was carrying the knife pull out the ribs, Kennard?"

The officer was silent.

"Is there anything you collected?" Andre asked.

"Yeah, they were carrying a bunch of assault rifles. From what we collected, they're probably the ones the Atlesians carry. Maybe they..."

As Kennard carried away, Andre noticed something that looks familiar. Something was poking out of the body's back. He lifted his body aside.

A tail was coming out from behind his jeans. It's long, furry and curvy tail was exposed. Andre picked the tail before turning to the officer.

"Kennard, take a look at this."

The young officer stopped speaking and stared at whatever Hilltop's holding.

"Is that a monkey tail?" He said.

"He's a Faunus..." Andre replied, a moment before he started to piece together the story.

"Animal tail, drug deal, dead humans at the entrance..." He muttered before gasping softly. "God. The dead bodies are the White Fang!"

"Wait, what?" Kennard asked.

"They were having a drug deal with the humans and-" He cut himself off. "Wait. Drug deal with humans? Don't the White Fang have a grudge against us?"

"If they are in the White Fang, why would they be wearing this? Shouldn't they be-?" Kennard asked, confused about what's going on.

"That's the question we need to answer," Andre said. "Kennard, find as much evidence you can find and send it to me."

"But there are no reports of any evidence that can prove this was a White Fang drug deal!"

"Just find something that can work. Important or not, we need them to solve this issue."

Kennard hesitated. "Yes, sir."

As Andre watched Kennard take off, he took out a small notebook and started scribbling. He might have this case solved in a couple of days but there was something strange that went through his mind. The footprints by the entrance don't look familiar...

* * *

It was like someone whacked his forehead with a baton.

Holding his hand to his forehead, Jaune made a soft groan and lifted himself up. Where is he? What just happened? Did he have amnesia? if he did, then he would've forgotten his name and relationships so it's not amnesia.

Ignoring that sting in his head, Jaune looked around. He seems to be in a scrapyard since he's sitting next to a rusted car. Jaune took a moment to realize and patted his body to his legs. His scroll's still in his pocket but his top is not. That's not the important bit since he doesn't feel the wind gushing at his chest. After pulling himself up and limping his way around the scrapyard, his first thought came to mind. He needed to go back to Beacon.

The trip back to the city felt like a mile but he got there by 25 minutes. The streets were mostly empty. Cars were limited and numerous people in jogging suits were present. There are some construction workers heading to work in pickup trucks. Jaune recognised neither the street nor the route to Beacon somewhat. As he walked down the path, a couple going for a stroll gazed at Jaune with a raised eyebrow. He had no idea what they were looking at but ignored them on his way.

Stopping by a newspaper stand, Jaune sat on a bench nearby with a stereo playing music. He lifted his right hand near his face, checking his fingers. Although his fingers are intact, he noticed something strange about his nails. Staring at it closely, he noticed his nails were longer than his normal nails. It had a sharp point at the top which reminded him of a Beowolf he encountered a week ago.

While checking out his sharp nails, he suddenly felt something tingling on his leg. Jaune looked down and noticed a newspaper clung round his leg. Picking it off, he read it. Surprisingly, the cover had Jaune's face on it. He stared at the title, in bold font. His eyes widened.

"DEAD HUNSTMAN CONTINUES TO SPREAD CONFUSION AND FEAR"

"I'm dead?" Jaune whispered.

As soon as he read the last word, he dropped the newspaper and leaned back in horror. For the first time, he never faced something this shocking and wrong. The voices began to swivel in his mind. How did the hell did he die? He eventually realised he needed to keep reading to find out. Jaune got off and picked the newspaper up and read the article. He ignored the unimportant parts and read a quote on the right.

"He died to save us. - Pyrrha Nikos"

Jaune flipped to the next page.

"BODIES SCATTERED AROUND VALE - POLICE CONFUSED"

The articles were mostly about numerous murders around Vale yesterday. The first one was in an alley where 4 bodies were discovered, brutally mutilated. The second was a drug deal, strangely, involving the White Fang and humans. Police have yet to understand why the humans were selling drugs to the White Fang since they too have been murdered. A side article at the bottom had a photo of a figure jumping pole by pole and stated about a witness discovering something fleeing the scene.

Jaune closed the newspaper and left the bench. Reunion with his team will have to wait. They'll freak out if they see him in person and probably have him in intensive care shortly. He'll have to lay low and avoid contact. But first, he needs shelter.

* * *

It's not your average lunch break. The cafeteria was filled with students in uniforms as they ate and chat together at the same time. Well, this time it's mostly about Jaune. Every single conversation is about what happened to Jaune, mostly theories.

Jaune's remaining team and RWBY ignored the theories and ate their food silently. Nobody talked about anything. No imaginary stories by Nora, no talking about stuff that isn't important, no terrible puns by Yang, no nothing. Ruby, eventually broke the silence.

"Has anyone heard the news?" She asked. They stared at her. "About the numerous murders last night?"

"Yes, Ruby," Weiss responded. "Everybody watches the news these days."

"Well, not everyone." Nora said.

"But has anyone read the numerous murders? They said the people who died were all brutally torn apart. I think this has to do with that Grimm we met at the Emerald Forest." Ruby told them.

"Ruby, if they were torn apart, would you think it was a Grimm who killed them?" Yang said. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that "Grimm" had nothing to do with it."

"I'm with Yang on that one," Blake said. "There's no possibility the Grimm would enter the city without being attracted to negative emotion."

"Guys, this might have something to do with that Grimm who sounds like a human," Ruby argued. "The people who died look like they were murdered by a Beowolf." She sighed.

"Guys, I might be crazy but I think Jaune's alive."

"Ruby, cut this out. We've been through this a million times. He's dead." Yang told her.

"No! Did you guys here about Jaune's body disappearing from the hospital? He might've escaped!"

"There's no way Jaune would survive a fall from the sky," Ren said. "His injuries were too severe to fix."

"He was probably stolen by a group of thieves." Weiss implied.

"Guys, if he did survive, then why did he go out and murder a group of thugs last night?"

"That makes no sense. Why would Jaune kill people?" Yang asked, wondering if Ruby's just out of her head.

"Ruby's probably having a dream of Jaune being alive. Since you care for him a lot." Weiss muttered, sipping a cup of water.

"Just move on, Ruby. Jaune's not coming back." Blake told her.

"I know Jaune's out there!" She yelled, slamming her hands on the table.

The whole table shook and everybody stopped and stared. Even the other students stopped talking and turned to Ruby. The whole mess hall stared at her with wonder. She looked up, panting. She looked at the students staring at her. Taking one last glance, she sighed.

"I'm going back to our rooms." She said quietly and stood up, leaving her food behind. The students watched Ruby exit the hall.

A few moments later, everybody turned away and caught up to where they were. Ruby's team continued staring at the door.

"She'll cool down," Weiss said. "She's probably just having another dream of Jaune again."

Yang turned to Pyrrha, who's being silent this whole time.

"So, uh... You've being quiet for a while now. Do you have anything to say?"

Pyrhha turned to her team looking at her. Her solemn eyes turned to Yang and her friends. She slowly turned to where the door was.

"I'm sorry, but I agree with Ruby."

* * *

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **Looks like we have something going on with Ruby. Again, sorry for the long wait, I hope you can forgive that. I promise the next chapter will be around in a few weeks so bear with me for that. Also, thanks for reading and leave a review on what you find incorrect or what I can improve on!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: A Good Friend**

The gates made a loud creak as it slid open.

An APC passed the gate with a flag attached and drove over the muddy path. It was late afternoon and the rain thundered. The APC passed tents filled with Faunus grunts playing cards or just taking a nap on crates. After a lengthy drive ignoring grunts talking about their leader, the APC parked at the lot where other vehicles were. Shortly, a person jumped off the vehicle, along with the driver. The person put on his mask as he walked.

Adam Taurus was definitely not impressed with the latest effort his soldiers he deployed. First, he's coerced into working with a mysterious woman who's also a human and now he lost more men from a dust deal gone wrong. To make things worse, there were only two soldiers who escaped. What's next? A field mission to search for a weapon to destroy Beacon and lose even more men to the Grimm? There's definitely something wrong in the head of the woman.

He arrived at his own tent. Lifting the curtain up, he went inside. The tent was in fact slightly elegant than the soldier's quarters. A sleek mat rolled, leading to a throne made of Grimm skin. The lighting was more effective and even better, he had his own quarters inside. As he dried himself up, he noticed two soldiers holding the survivors of the dust deal. Even behind his mask, his eyes would intimidate anyone.

"Please, sir," a survivor begged, stuttering. "Forgive us. We were doing what you told us."

"Show mercy. we had no idea about that thing. It just came!"

Adam ignored their pleas and sighed through his mouth. He walked up to the surviving soldiers, still drenched.

"Do you have any idea how far we've gone to prepare this deal? The Lien we stole?" He asked, glaring through the mask.

"Y-yes, i-it was worth it!"

"It was not just worth it," he said, turning his back. "It was an opportunity! To pay off the woman and what did I get in return?"

This time the survivor didn't say anything but the other wasn't afraid to tell.

"Please understand. The deal was going well until it-"

"I am not here for your excuses!" He bellowed, scaring the survivors. The thunder accompanied his echoes. "I want answers! I want to know why you and your leader was so reckless to blow this deal!"

Adam's lieutenant stayed back and returned to his post. Even he didn't dare to interrupt. As he left, Adam drew his breath and bent down to the survivor.

"Tell me what happened to the dust."

The survivors both gave glances and nodded. Adam noticed it and looked upon suspicion.

"Is there something I don't want to know?"

They both bolted back to him. "What? No! No, no, no! We would not keep secrets."

Adam had no time for games. He slowly unsheathed his sword. "Stop wasting my time and tell me before I use this as an excuse to finish both of you."

They both took breaths and turned to him. "T-the deal was going fine at first. The humans weren't aware of our existence. But...but..." He trailed away.

"But, what?" Adam asked.

"They found out. They found out we're Faunus."

Adam didn't pull a reaction. The survivor knew to continue.

"The leader asked for the dust, they ran off. Then, it all went out of control."

"The leader ordered to shoot," He continued. "We fired at the buyers. They got away but before we could go after them, something got to them. Something murdered them. After that, it went after us."

"What was that 'Something'?" Adam interrupted.

"I-It was horrifying. It wasn't human at all. It looked like a Grimm hosting a human form. We fired at that thing. It managed to kill all of our squad, including the leader. We distracted it long enough to escape."

"What happened to the dust?" Adam asked.

"The buyer had the dust in his car," the other survivor cut in. "The car blew up with the dust."

With that said, Adam didn't react. The survivors were quite surprised to see Adam not lash out. He got up and walked away with his back. He still held to his sword, however.

"S-so, you forgive us, r-right?" the survivor said, chuckling nervously.

They expected him to forgive them right away but instead, he turned back, unsheathing his Wilt and Blush, converting it to Blush.

"Yes." He walked up to them and shot each of the survivors, putting them down instantly. "I do."

Adam stared contently at the bodies and sighed. He turned and walked to his throne.

"Get the bodies out of my sight." He ordered.

As he sat down, the two soldiers who were behind the survivors both dragged them out of the tent, leaving a trail of blood on his fine carpet. He gagged softly at that horrible sight. Oh well, he'll have this cleaned afterward. While staring into the nothingness, the lieutenant appeared in his sight.

"Was it necessary to kill those survivors?" He asked.

Adam lifted his head to his hand, with his elbow holding the armrest. "It's better for them to suffer quickly than to suffer from what they saw."

The lieutenant shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "So, what're you going to do about the payment?"

"Gather the men," he responded. "We'll have to solve this the hard way."

* * *

The rain poured down uncontrollably.

Jaune would've used his shield to cover himself from the rain but they were seized while he was dead. He sat on a stairway leading to an office while he looked on gloomily. The shops were closed and all staff has left. He looked down at himself. He's still shirtless and wearing his light blue jeans and sneakers. The wind gushed at his chest which was actually bothering him. It could possibly give him a cold and leave him sick for a week. He could buy some clothes tomorrow but hell, they're all overpriced and unaffordable. But there is something that he can do.

Steal the clothes.

That idea gleamed on but the other half of him was against that idea. What if the shops are filled with detecting technology. Vale is definitely protective with their shopping business. He can always do it right now and be done with it but he could be thrown in prison for doing something dumb. It's a risk but hey, his life has been full of risks. Lying his way into Beacon was one thing but he could change that.

Jaune got up and walked off, searching for a clothing store. He eventually stumbled upon a discount store. Reason being was he doesn't need anything unnecessary and expensive to start with. Something cheap and simple would do. Jaune crept up to the store's entrance and glanced through the glass. The store was wide, filled with racks and tables, piled up by clothing. But the thing he needed to be cautious of is security. He can't risk being seen by a camera that can quickly report to the police.

First thing he did was open the door. It was locked. This made Jaune wonder why he would be so foolish to open a locked door. Looks like he'll have to find another way in. As he snuck around, he began to wonder why he's doing this. The back was unguarded, only covered by wooden fences. Jaune climbed over the fences with a metal box for support since the fence was locked.

Jaune didn't need to know the door was locked. No one would be dumb enough to leave their shop unlocked. The rain continued to shower, soaking his body. He needed something strong to break through. Jaune noticed a pile of rubbish beside. He bent down and rummaged through soggy boxes, food cartons and ripped burnt paper. He eventually felt something hard and sharp. Jaune pulled the object and inspected.

A fire axe.

It was dirty and abandoned but it was quite heavy than his sword. Maybe he can use the axe to cut a hole in the door. It might work. Jaune turned to the door and swung with his might. The axe blade went down on the door, cutting through it. He pulled further, making a longer hole. Jaune stopped and pulled it out. He poked his arm through the hole and felt the lock on the door, turning it anticlockwise. There was a click. Jaune wriggled out and opened the door, gaining access. He went inside, putting the axe aside and searched the store.

He can still hear the rain pour onto the roof. Jaune hid behind the wall and checked for cameras. Surprisingly, there were no cameras to be seen. That gave Jaune allowance to do anything. He went inside and looked for some clean clothes. He swiped a black zip hoodie off a rack, a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans and nicked off a pair of sneakers. Holding the pile to his body, he dropped the pile near a change room and wiped himself with a shirt before throwing it away. Jaune went inside and got in his new clothes.

He got out and checked himself in the mirror. Jaune had to admit. This felt way more comfortable than his old attire. Now all suited up, he turned to find an umbrella and a raincoat. Before he left, he had to make sure whoever that owns this place must not figure out what happened. So he took his old pile, the shirt he used to rub himself and an axe with him. He walked out and closed the door with a raincoat and umbrella over his head, holding a large shipment of dirty laundry and a weapon he can't keep. Jaune walked up to a dumpster in an alley and disposed his dirty pile before checking the axe.

The axe seemed useful in case he needed to defend himself but well, who would trust a man holding a weapon that could give his identity away. Jaune sighed and dumped the axe with the clothes into the dumpster. With everything sorted, Jaune's pretty confident nobody would be able to track down what happened in the store. Grinning, he pulled on the hood and left the alley, in search of shelter.

* * *

Ruby stared blankly at the window, watching the rain slide and drip. She sat very still on the bedside with a book on her lap, about to fall off. Judging by her face, she appeared to be traumatised by the loss but in reality, she was actually becoming upset by the fact that everybody believes Jaune's dead. It was like her emotions were brainwashed from belief. As she continued with her blank face, the door opened.

Pyrrha walked in and closed the door. Ruby ignored her and continued to stare. Pyrrha simply just walked up to her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

Ruby was dead silent, with the rain pouring down.

"Ruby, I know you believe Jaune's still alive but it's the truth. Jau-"

"Like I care to hear what you have to say about Jaune." Ruby responded.

Pyrrha looked at her and breathed. "Ruby, I-"

"I don't want to hear it," Ruby cut her off. "You're going to say Jaune's dead. Just like everyone else does. There's no point to it."

"Ruby, I believe Jaune's alive too but you've got to face the truth."

Ruby didn't respond, still refusing to accept. Pyrrha walked up to her and sat next to her.

"Ruby," Pyrrha started. "I understand you don't want to accept the truth. I am partly backing you up, but you've got to accept. I didn't want to be famous too, I refused to accept that but I gave in.

She placed her hand on her shoulder. "So Ruby, just tell me. Why do you want to believe Jaune's alive?"

Ruby eventually gave in and breathed. "I...I just miss him, that's all. He was a good friend and I feel like we have something in common."

"So you're saying you have feelings for him?" Pyrrha guessed.

"What? No, I don't. I only find something common between us, that's it. I don't find it necessary to go this further."

"I see," Pyrrha said. "Well, the truth is, I have feelings for him too."

"Really?" Ruby was surprised. "You do?"

"Yes. I was impressed with his skills but he wasn't able to find out about my interest in him. I was going to confess, if only he didn't die. "

"I'm sorry." Ruby simply said.

"Don't be," she replied. "It's like what my mother said. 'Many good things always fade away, but don't your skills be one of them.'"

Ruby felt quite bad for her but she understood what she needed to do.

"I'll leave you for now." Pyrrha said, getting up.

Ruby watched her leave the room solemnly. Suddenly something came up.

"Wait," she called out, prompting Pyrrha to stop. "The funeral's starting tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, it is. Hope you have your attire ready." She made a small smile before leaving the room.

As the door closed, Ruby had a brief thought. It was strange for Pyrrha to reveal her feelings for Jaune but that was quite okay for a girl like her. Does Ruby actually have feelings for Jaune? Ruby thought not. Jaune was just a friend to her, nothing special or personal.

* * *

The rain had just stopped in the morning.

A garbage truck pulled up to the alley. The driver was a gruff-looking man with a spider tattoo on his face. Two waste collectors got off from the back and walked up to the garbage bins and picked two of them up. The other collector went up to the pile of bags and picked them up. He held the bags while he opened the dumpster. Suddenly, he stared at something. There was a pile of dumped clothes with a sharp object on top of it. He dropped the bags and picked up the object.

An axe.

Why would there be an axe inside a dumpster? Normally, it should be reported right away but he had no idea what to do now since he's in a middle of a job. Just then, his buddies called out.

"Oi! Hurry up! I wanna get this over with right away!"

He turned to them. "C-coming!"

He dropped the axe and picked the bags up before running to the back, dumping the bags. The collector hung onto the handbars and leaned backwards as the garbage truck went in motion. However, he did forget to pick up some remaining bags and the axe he was checking out. A loud growl eventually followed before a figure landed behind the axe. Shockingly, it was that same Nevermore-like figure who dropped Jaune. It picked the axe, sniffing it before it vanished.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Live by Night**

It was the day of Jaune's funeral and the school had an hour to prepare before an announcement from Glynda blared. All students came out of their rooms and walked in an orderly fashion. They were all in their school uniforms, tidy and groomed to suit the funeral of a fallen huntsman. Some of them carried bouquets of flowers. RWBY and the remains of JNPR were the last to come out of their rooms. Their faces of solemn filled the silent corridor as they made their way to follow the students.

All of the students of Beacon Academy arrived at the amphitheater in a single line and filled the rows facing the stage. More students came in, filling up gaps and leaving some spots for their friends. By the time RWBY and JNPR arrived, the amphitheater was full of students with the lighting mooring across the stage. The headmaster has yet to appear, indicating more time to have a short chat. The once chatty and humble team ignored the soft chatting as they shuffled themselves past the students. JNPR separated and headed to the left half.

It took a couple of minutes for the funeral to officially start. The lights suddenly dimmed and slithered to the stage where the microphone was. Eventually, Ozpin came out from the back of the stage with Glynda behind him. His shoes echoed across the amphitheater which came to a complete stop. The chattering started to simmer down as Ozpin was about to begin his lengthy speech. He cleared his throat and leaned towards the microphone.

"Students," He began. "We mark this day to pay our respects. A few days ago, we have lost a student on a search mission. His team was attacked by an unidentified Grimm. This student sacrificed himself to save his team who was almost on the verge of losing their lives. The rescue team found him, mortally injured. His injuries, unfortunately, was unable to be healed and therefore, his life support had to be turned off. This student's name was Jaune Arc."

The display behind him changed into a photo of Jaune. It was really bright it shone towards the exit.

"Unfortunately, his body we were supposed to recover for this special occasion was missing and never found. But that does not matter. We will still continue this occasion without the body. So, in just a few minutes, you will come up to this stage and pay your respects to Mr. Arc. If you have flowers or anything, place them by the display."

With that said, the school got in a queue. Some students walked up to the display and simply placed their hand on their heart before walking off while others placed bouquets of flowers. Jaune's former bully Cardin was next and instead of making fun of him like he does, he just nodded to the display and walked off. His friends did the same, leaving for the others.

Meanwhile, Ozpin and Glynda watched the students pay their respects from backstage before heading off. They took a short staircase and walked to the back.

"Sir," Glynda said, getting Ozpin's attention. She was waiting for the speech to end so she can send him a message. "The chairman of the Vale Council needs a word with you."

"Tell him I'm busy." He responded, refusing to look at her.

"But sir, the message he has is urgent and needs to be resolved."

"Urgent or not, I'm not discussing it."

"Sir, we've lost a student and the Council has been onto us ever since then. It's best we talk this through and-"

"I will not talk about the links to the Vale Central Mall and that's final!" Ozpin snapped.

Once again, this argument has been on for a week. Glynda eventually lost her cool.

"With all due respect sir," she said. "But you have been doing nothing but refusing to talk about the Forever Fall incident and even dismissing the topic whenever someone mentions a single word. You even skipped the Vale Council Meeting. It's time you take this situation seriously!"

Ozpin turned to her, surprised at her revelation. Never in his life had he seen Glynda this frustrated.

"You might be a well-known headmaster," she continued. "But just because you're a headmaster, doesn't mean you sit back and pretend nothing ever happened. Everything that happens here is on you and you only!"

Ozpin remained silent throughout the conversation. Glynda eventually sighed and shuffled her feet.

"It's best you think this through." She said before walking past him.

As he ignored the tappings from behind, Ozpin didn't bother to catch up to Glynda and just stood still on that very spot. From here, he could hear Glynda's muffled voice addressing the students. He didn't care what she had to say so he walked off, leaving him on his own.

* * *

Jaune crossed the road, ignoring the horns coming from his side and skipped onto the path. He was in the crowded district of the city. The paths are filled with people trying to get to places, numerous shops, street-style apartments right next to the stores and several parks, crowded with people and children. Jaune couldn't remember the last time he visited a crowded city.

At this moment, Jaune continued to search for a place to stay for the night. He had a bit of lien left so it shouldn't be expensive to book a room. It's really surprising how accommodation these days have changed. One night basically cost 30 cards of lien just for the service. Jaune had no idea why he was thinking about economies and shook it off.

Jaune still had yet to figure out what's happening throughout the time. First thing was him waking up in a hospital and escaping. That was the last thing he remembered other than almost getting knocked out by a group of thugs. Then, he wakes up without a top and finds an article which told him he was killed. Jaune had no idea who killed him and how. Things always remain a mystery.

But thanks to wasting time thinking about something he should leave for later, he suddenly stopped. His shoes scraped the gravel and came to complete stop. Jaune eventually found himself out of the busy district which was slightly quieter. He heard birds chirped and flapped behind him. Jaune turned and noticed a motel beside him. There was a large neon sign by the building which shown "The Dawn's Inn". The "No" on the "No vacancy" sign did not lit which Jaune sighed, relieved to find a motel that was still available. Jaune then set foot to the motel and searched for the reception.

The reception wasn't far. He opened the door and went inside. The room was a bit stuffy but the furniture was quite old. The smell was kind of dusty which mixed with oil paint. In front of him was a person by the desk with a newspaper covering the face. Jaune looked around and went up to the desk, clearing his throat. The person lowered the newspaper which revealed an old man. His cheeks were chubby but there were noticeable scars on the face and near his eye. His outfit didn't seem like a receptionist at all. Checked shirt with a singlet exposed. The man stared at him, blank.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

Jaune was a bit surprised but he continued. "Hi. Ummm, I like to book a room for the night. Is that okay?"

The man hummed. "Sure thing, son. How long?"

"Just for the night."

"Alright," The man smirked and placed a clipboard. Attached to it was a piece of paper and pen. "That'll be 20 cards."

Jaune was surprised to find the price was less expensive than he thought. He took out his wallet and placed it near the clipboard. The man watched him fill in the details for the stay while also wondering why a young man like him come here all of a sudden. While writing on that piece of paper, Jaune stopped and rubbed his eyes. The man was able to get a glance of his eyes which almost surprised him. A part of his eyes was light red with a small dot in the middle. He would ask him about those eyes but it would be rude to point out someone's eyes, wouldn't it?

Jaune eventually finished the papers, putting his signature and handing it to the man.

"Here you go." He said.

The man placed the clipboard away and the lien into a register. He picked off a key from a board and handed it to Jaune.

"Here's the keys. 217. If you ever need anything, you're welcome to ask." The man told him.

Jaune thanked him and placed the keys in his pockets before leaving the room.

"Enjoy your stay!" He heard the man call out.

Jaune took the staircase and found his room, near the balcony. He unlocked the door and went inside. The room was dark but he flipped the switch on, beaming the room. It was around average. There were two single beds with a holographic TV across the room with a drawer next to it along with a chair positioned next to a table at the corner. He quickly toured his room before leaving for snacks. He has been hungry for a while.

Jaune arrived at a convenience store, a few blocks near the motel. He entered the small and bright store and looked around. There were numerous shelves containing food and other stuff. He checked his wallet, counting the cards. He had about 30 cards left so there was enough to spend on some light snacks. Jaune wasted no time and picked up his desired snacks. By the time he was finished, he was carrying 2 bags of chips, a soda can and a protein bar. He approached the counter, where the cashier waited. He was dark-skinned and had shaved sideburns. The one thing that stood out was his wolf ears. Jaune placed his snacks in front of him and reached for his wallet.

"13 cards."

While the cashier scanned his snacks and stuffed them in a plastic bag, Jaune picked out his cards. Suddenly, his vision started to blur. The noise around him was shut off as if his ears were blocked. His perspective twisted, everything became red and he ignored the voice echoing. In just a second, everything vanished and Jaune was back into the real perspective. He noticed the cashier was becoming impatient.

"Wh-wha-?" Jaune stuttered.

"13 cards," the cashier repeated, exasperated. "Stop wasting my time."

Jaune snapped out of it, quickly handed him the cards and took off with the bag. He ignored the cashier's voice and returned to the motel.

* * *

Jaune dumped the empty and crumpled chip bag into the bin and returned to the bed. It had been a couple of hours since he stayed. He sat on the bed and continued watching the holographic TV. The program he was watching switched to the news program. While the program blared, Jaune reached over for the soda can and pulled the tab off. It fizzed and after a moment, he took a sip. The soda was still cold and bubbly, just like how he bought it. Jaune took another sip and placed it on the side table. The news program eventually caught up to something he might need.

"Police have yet to discover the perpetrators of the mass murders in the last recent days-"

Jaune glanced at the TV and took out the newspaper he slipped in his hoodie. He unfolded and read the article. The article was the same as the reporter was saying. The reporter started to make pointless rambles about the mass murder. He wouldn't get to the point. They have nothing to do with what he really wants to know. They haven't even found out what that "figure" is. Jaune sighed and set the newspaper aside, leaving the TV on. It was time for bed.

Jaune got off the bed and headed to the bathroom. He turned the tap and let the water rinse his dry hands before splashing his face with water. He wiped his face and stared at the mirror. The red eyes he noticed at the junkyard was back to bright blue. He leaned forward, lifting his left eyelid to check.

"Kill..."

Surprised, Jaune staggered back, looking around as if there was anything near him. Soon, he realized he was just making a fool of himself and went back to the sink. Suddenly, the voice returned.

"Kill..."

Jaune stopped and searched. Where was this voice coming from? He went out, peering out of the room to find it empty as usual.

"Hello?" Jaune said, awaiting a response.

All of a sudden, his head stung like being stabbed in the head. He clasped his head and stumbled to the wall.

His headache started to sting even worse and something began to grow. Jaune panted and reached for the door. His voice was becoming raspy and lower. He grabbed onto the basin and faced the mirror. His eyes were red once again. Jaune felt a sense of fear and nausea. He covered his mouth and went to the toilet, throwing up. It felt like a callback to when he first met Ruby and she called him "vomit boy". It was just like airsickness. When he finished throwing up, he noticed his puke was unusually mixed with black blood. He didn't have time to flush as he felt something growing.

He dry-heaved and staggered back. His change of voice was unnoticed as he was losing noise from the outside. Jaune felt something painful coming from his arm as if he's growing a horn. He pulled his sleeve and panted. It was horrendous. Red veins were poking out, black skin covered his arm and his hands were becoming claw-like and angular.

"They betrayed you...left you for dead..."

The voices continued to surround him as he started losing reality. It was like he had lost all hope and his consciousness. It felt like he wasn't himself anymore. Jaune grabbed onto a drawer and pushed all of the objects to the ground. He began to destroy everything in his wake while trying to press that thing down.

"Kill them. Rip their hearts out and take their heads. Let it control you. Its who you are."

"Get out of my head!" He cried, covering his head.

Jaune couldn't take it. His behavior became feral and his voice turned into something not even human. He bent down while holding his head as he ignored the changes. His voice became more feral and Grimm-like. Finally, he let it consume him. Jaune got up, no longer the Jaune he was. His eyes were covered in red like a robot's eye and his skin was completely white. He cocked his head and screeched, slamming everything around him like a gorilla.

"Very well. You have reached the first step of our goal."

Jaune sniffed and moved. He busted through the door and snarled. He looked around and roared. It sounded like an Ursa and a Beowolf hybrid from a secret lab. Jaune stopped and snapped his head aside.

"Now go. Find them and take your vengeance." The voice said.

Suddenly, Jaune was sprinting out of sight, searching for his next victims.

* * *

A red van drove past the gate, arriving at a parking lot with a large warehouse in front. There was dim music coming from the van. It stopped at a loading bay and the engine cut off. Most of the bays had truck containers blocking the doors. Emerald and Mercury got out and walked up to an empty bay along with a pair of men carrying assault rifles and a bag. Emerald got there first and approached the door.

She got out a large drill from a bag and set it on the door. Before she was going to drill the hole, Mercury swiftly kicked at the bay door, shooting a projectile. It left a burnt hole and surprisingly the alarm wasn't activated. Emerald stared at him and scoffed, putting the drill back in her bag. The green haired gunslinger lifted her leg over the hole and went inside.

Emerald and Mercury stood and looked around. The warehouse was pitch dark and silence filled. Emerald noticed a switch and flicked it. It instantly turned on all of the lights, brightening the warehouse. It was large and smelled of dust. The sections were filled with platforms which stored goods. Emerald turned to the men.

"You two, stay here and make sure no one comes here."

The men got to it straight away. They were in white and black uniforms with a mask covering their eyes. They also had the red wolf with three scratches across on their backs. One of them had a zebra tail and the other had tiger ears and tattoo sleeves on each of his arms. They stood near the platforms with their rifles on them. Emerald headed straight with Mercury following her. He turned to the men behind them and returned his gaze to her.

"You wanna remind me why these goons are with us?" Mercury asked.

"Cinder's dispatched some White Fang soldiers to help us out, in case something goes wrong." Emerald responded, without looking at him.

"Still," he said. "It's kind of pointless since we already know how useless they are."

"True, but if we try anything stupid or their friends back at the base finds out what happened, what do you think will happen to Cinder?"

"Seriously? You're worried about someone who can take care of herself?"

Emerald turned to Mercury, annoyed. She scoffed and looked forward. "I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear what you said."

They didn't talk for the next few seconds until they found a box of dust at the very end. Emerald walked past Mercury and took off a bag from her shoulder. She bent down and zipped the bag while Mercury leaned by a platform and took out his scroll, playing some sort of game. Emerald ignored the sound effects from his scroll and pulled out a crowbar and threw the drill out. It made a loud clang as it bounced. Mercury turned his gaze to Emerald, who seems to be taking this really serious. He always wondered when she would just stop being so serious and take it easy for once.

"Look at you," He said. "So focused and all. Do you ever think of taking things easier?"

Emerald continued lifting the lid with force, ignoring his question. Mercury looked around and thought of something that could get her attention.

"You know, I've been wondering for a while..."

She has yet to respond.

"Do you have a thing with Cinder?"

Emerald stopped. At first, Mercury thought she had her attention.

"No." She answered, without turning back and continued with her job.

"Really? Cause the way I see it, you seemed to be all attentive when you're around her. Like the way you act around her and how you talk..."

As he continued pondering on, Emerald's face began to curl up and her eyes slightly twitched.

"...not judging you or anything but it's kinda hot."

The lid cracked open and the crowbar dropped. He looked down and noticed Emerald who turned to him.

"Do you want me to break your mind? Cause I can."

Mercury remained silent but his smug face dismissed her threat. Emerald turned away and started packing the dust.

As time passed, the masked Faunus with rifles became tired and began slacking. The tiger Faunus sat down and leaned on the platform to take a nap. Suddenly, the tiger Faunus' ears twitched and he lifted his head. He looked around, attracted to the sudden noise. His partner beside him turned to him. The tiger Faunus got up and picked his rifle up. The noise was a bit louder. The tiger Faunus stared at the zebra Faunus.

"Something's outside."

The zebra Faunus got outside first with the tiger Faunus following him. As the zebra Faunus progressed, the noise became louder. He raised his rifle and searched the area while the tiger Faunus stayed back. The zebra Faunus slowly walked next to a container. He aimed, searching for the noise. There was nothing around, even the noise was gone. The Faunus checked the area, making sure there was absolutely nothing. He turned around and faced the tiger Faunus.

"There's nothing outsi-"

Suddenly, he let out a yelp and was pulled away, disappearing out of sight. The tiger Faunus unholstered his rifle and ran up to the corner of the container. He aimed his rifle, searching for his partner. He followed his partner's tracks and aimed at whoever took him. He was nowhere to be found. The tiger Faunus slowly walked and stopped. He felt something wet on his shoulder. Something red. The drips became quicker and formed a larger puddle. The tiger Faunus turned above, finding a gruesome image. He became so distracted the thing that killed his partner jumped on him.

Emerald was halfway done packing the dust when they heard a loud noise. She and Mercury turned to the door, hearing gunshots and distant screams, followed by a car alarm. Then it stopped. Emerald turned to Mercury who was still looking at the door.

"What're you standing there for? Go see what's going on!"

Mercury looked at her in uninterest but obeyed anyway. He arrived at the entrance to find their van with a large dent on the side, flashing like crazy and the body of the tiger Faunus lying aside. Mercury went up to the body to check. The Faunus' body was torn with flesh exposed and a hole of guts spilling out. His face was turned into a pulp. Mercury shuffled himself and looked around for whoever did this. Did the girls find out what they're up to? Maybe they're hiding, waiting to do an "epic" team attack like they always do. Kids these days.

While he went out in the open, he heard something swoop behind him. He spun around to meet the eye of a figure in front of him. It was white skinned and bulkier but somehow it had clothes. At first impressions, it was likely his first time he had ever become tense and stiff since childhood. He couldn't describe it. He didn't move an inch or a muscle. But it's not a goddamn movie. It's real life. The face was atrocious yet fearsome. Mercury felt the tightening of his chest as he struggled to hold his breath. Mercury could even smell that odor in its open mouth with its Grimm-like teeth.

What was the procedure when being confronted by a scary-looking monster? Normally, run for your lives.

Mercury was not that type of guy. He would've just took it's ass down right now and be done with it. But why couldn't he? Was it the pressure and the fear, showing his true colors? Could it be the fear of attracting attention?

Mercury slowly lifted his leg and rested it on the ground. He turned to the monster. It didn't move. It just growled and sniffed. Mercury exhaled, letting out the air trapped in his body, relieving himself. Mercury continued the process and moved slowly and quietly, targeting the side of the van. If he can get to the side, he can attack the thing in surprise and get the upper hand.

Everything was all going to plan until a voice shouted.

"Merc! What the hell's going on?"

His eyes widened. The monster cocked to the bay and rasped. Mercury quickly kicked, firing a round at the thing and ran off.

"Damn it, Emerald!" He thought. "If she just shut her mouth for a minute, everything would've been fine! Now, this is turning into some unwanted fight. This is so going to attract the cops."

The monster lunged back and roared. Mercury swung the car door open and dived inside. He fumbled for the keys and ignited the engine. Emerald had just arrived carrying a bag, checking out the commotion.

"Mercury, what did you-"

She noticed Mercury in the van, reversing with the monster catching up. The van rammed through the gates and stopped, hanging off a steep hill. The trees tangled up on the now-damaged van with its wheels stuck. The monster jumped onto the bonnet and slammed onto the windscreen.

"-do." She finished.

The monster cocked its head at her and got off the van, charging at her. She unholstered her pistols and fired. The monster shielded itself and backed away, giving Emerald an advantage. As she fought the monster, Mercury stepped on the pedal. The van's back wheels spun but no movement was made. Emerald converted her pistols into dual blades and swung at the monster. It was able to withstand its sharp edges like its skin has more layers.

Emerald swung again but suddenly, it grabbed onto her arm and swung at it. Mercury heard a scream and looked up. The first thing he saw was Emerald flung at the windscreen, leaving another dent. Blood spread around it and her body slipped off the bonnet. Mercury leaned out of the window and his eyes widened.

She was crying in pain and around her was a puddle of blood. Even horrifying, her arm was torn off. Mercury retched, almost felt like throwing up. She was a bitch and all but Mercury actually felt a bit of sympathy towards the green haired thief. He stared forward and noticed the monster covered in blood and even scarier since her arm was beside it. Mercury wasted no time and pressed the pedal, trying to get back on the surface. The monster roared and charged towards the van.

Somehow in a miracle, the back of the van scraped back onto the surface. The wheels burnt out as the van motioned forward. Mercury pumped his fist, unaware of driving something over. He turned the van to the left, heading out of the warehouse and leaving Emerald's run-over body and the dust behind. Far away from the warehouse, a figure flapping at the night sky watched the whole scene. It made a growl and flew away.

Mercury glanced at the wing mirror, noticing the monster clambering after him. He looked front, arriving at the parking lot and the gate at the front. The monster climbed onto a container and onto the roof before leaping off, targeting the van.

As he gazed at the front, a loud thump echoed from above. Mercury looked up and around, noticing something poking into the roof. Suddenly, he heard tearing of metal. Part of the roof was torn off. Mercury's looked away as his heart rate began to thump uncontrollably. The van smashed through the gates and swiveled around. The monster jumped in while he drove. The van bounced, rocking the monster around but that still didn't stop it.

Mercury felt it's hand hold his arm, forcing a huge struggle between fighting off the monster while driving the van. He wriggled it's arm off and took out a beer bottle from the cup holder, hitting the monster with it. The glass pierced the monster but he responded roaring at him. While he dealt with the thing, he didn't bother checking where he was heading as the van drove over a fence and into a steep forest. The impact lifted both Mercury and the monster while they brace for impact.

* * *

Cinder checked the clock mounted on the wall for the last time, silently growling. Emerald and Mercury were supposed to be here by now. What's taking them so long? Weren't the White Fang grunts she hired supposed to make them faster? Cinder sighed and hoped for the best. That dust they were after was required for a superweapon they were developing and those two better take good care of it. The door opened and a White Fang soldier appeared.

"Ma'am?" he said. "You have someone waiting for you."

Cinder was expecting Roman to ask her about their wages. "On my way."

The Faunus left the door open as Cinder went past him.

* * *

Jaune's eyes half opened. It felt like being stung. He smelled the smoke puffing out of something. Jaune looked around. Where was he? Why's their smoke? He couldn't answer any of those questions. Jaune rested his hand on something and flinched. He held his right hand and noticed glass shards on the surface. His hand was faintly red with bruises and burns. What did he touch? Jaune set back and noticed the new clothes he had was dirty and almost ripped. Even his sneakers had dirt all over it.

Jaune turned to the back and stared. Was he in a car? There was a person slumped with a tree branch in front of the windscreen. Jaune was quick to figure out that he wasn't alive. There was blood squirting out onto the branch. Jaune lifted his foot and slipped. He dropped onto the dashboard and his eyes widened. The man's mouth was filled with blood and his eyes were red. He noticed the branch was going through his chest and pierced onto the seat. The door beside him was hanging off.

He looked away from that sight and held onto the headrest, pulling himself up. He used the man's back for support and lifted his leg onto the surface. Jaune leaned onto the wall and looked up, finding a large hole torn out. He jumped onto the hole and held on. The sharp edges hurt like they were going to cut his hand but he didn't mind. Jaune pulled himself up and climbed onto the roof. The air and the smoke continued to enter his nose. The roof was slippery but he was able to move quickly and jumped off the van.

As soon as he landed, he began to feel limp and dizzy. His vision blackened and the voices returned. He couldn't make up the glass and parts of the car on the ground along with some road tracks.

"We're not done yet..."

He swiped around and hit a tree. Jaune staggered away and went towards a fence with a hole. Suddenly, the voices faded and his vision returned. He heard sirens. He looked up and noticed a cruiser arrive except it was a security kind. The guard came out and approached him.

"Alright, show's over, kid," he grabbed Jaune's arm tightly. "You're coming with me."

"Wha-Wait, I didn't do anything!" Jaune wriggled.

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell that to the police. They won't believe jackshit."

"No, I didn't do anything, I swear!"

He began to wriggle out of his grip. The guard turned and attempted to hold him.

"Stop, squirming..."

"NO!"

Suddenly, his hands hit the guard's stomach. His eyes widened and his grip loosened. Jaune backed away, confused. Blood shortly seeped through his hands. The guard fell and panted, staring at Jaune in shock. Jaune looked at his hands and noticed his nails were sharp with blood coated. Jaune shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." His eyes were about to fill up with water.

Jaune looked around and quickly ran off but he was cut off when more police cruisers arrive, blocking his path. Officers got out and pulled out their guns.

"Freeze!"

"Hands in the air, now!"

"We got you surrounded!"

He could hear several shouts from the police. Jaune put his hands up and waited as a pair of police officers charged at him. They pummelled him down, holding him. Jaune's face touched the gravel as the officers restrained him.

"You have the right to remain silent."

* * *

 **Aaand, that's all, folks! Jaune's getting arrested and the only thing we can do is hope for the best. Sorry this took a long time to finish but hey, I'm done! This might be by far, the longest chapter I've ever written. Anyways, I'm not going to do a lengthy talk like every other chapter does and I'll sign off right away. Be sure to review and let me know about any mistakes I've made. See you in the next chapter!**


	10. A message

**Hi everyone, Maximus here. Well, it has been a while since I updated this story. There's a reason why I keep uploading chapters really late and long. That's because I've been really, I mean REALLY busy. I've had exams during my time last week and my recent trip during the holidays has been really difficult for me to bother touching this story. I'm sorry if I disappoint anyone but it's been really hard for me to even think of anything productive since I start making a story without a clear plot and development in mind.**

 **I've also been helping out and editing for a fellow author who also writes RWBY. Currently, I'm working on a completely different story that doesn't have anything to do with RWBY. In fact, it doesn't have anything to do with fanfiction at all! I might have to take an indefinite break just to complete my schedule. I might update whenever I get the chance but for now, you'll never know when.**

 **Anyways, I'm done writing this and I'll see you guys later!**


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Us

Andre Hilltop continued to browse his computer on news articles, ignoring the muffled noises outside. He shortly closed the browser and clicked onto a photo file. The window popped up, revealing files lining down to the end. He clicked on one of them, in which a picture of unfamiliar footprints appeared. Andre was still in doubt on that particular photo. He never saw a footprint like this. He was certain it wasn't human at all. Shortly, he heard a knock.

"Come in."

The door opened and Kennard entered. He was still in his usual police uniform as always. He had a folder on his right hand.

"Sir?" he said. "We got a report."

Andre sighed. Everyday, he was getting reports that didn't even need to be solved. They were mostly simple to do. "What is it now?"

Kennard handed the file to him. Andre opened the folder and looked at the documents.

"There was an incident last night. An attempted burglary at a local warehouse."

"So?"

"There's more," Kennard continued. "The robbers were accompanied by a pair of soldiers from the White Fang. They were both brutally mutilated and murdered."

"The White Fang?" Andre cut in. "This doesn't make sense. Why would human robbers team up with a group of Faunus fanatics for a robbery?"

"Um, according to police reports, the robbers were identified as Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. Both were very known towards the police and the White Fang."

"Huh, kinda rings a bell for me. I've heard about those two. Bunch of kids who just want dust to get by. What happened to those two?"

"They too were brutally murdered," Kennard said. "Sustrai was found dead, with an arm torn off, along with tire tracks on her body and Black was found impaled to a tree branch inside what appears to be their getaway vehicle."

Andre was hit back by these news. These two were hard to catch for the police and suddenly, they wind up dead. Surprising.

"Police have also discovered the vehicle's roof had been torn off, leaving a hole at the middle. It was like something got caught between the vehicle and tore the roof off."

"Anything else?"

"Police have also taken in a boy who they believe was involved as he was at the scene. A security guard caught up to him first before he was stabbed in the stomach. The wounds appeared to be sharp claws according to the medical files."

Andre stopped looking at the files and glanced at Kennard. "What's the boy's name?"

Kennard shuffled his feet and rubbed his nose. "The police couldn't identify him. The machine was unable to scan him. They thought it was just a malfunction and they decided to take him away."

There was something that sounds familiar. A roof torn off, stab wounds that resemble claws and brutally murdered robbers. Something was wrong.

"I want to see the boy," Andre said. "Where's he now?"

"At his cell. You want me to bring him in?"

"Yes, please. Get him to the interrogation room. I want to have a chat with him."

* * *

The room was silent and pale dark. Jaune remained still on the chair, chained to the desk. He looked around and saw the two guards outside the window before they both disappeared out of sight. They arrived at his cell and Jaune expected them to free him. Instead, they asked him to follow them and lead him to a room. The two guards then cuffed him to the desk and left the room. He remembered them saying there was someone that wanted to talk to him. Jaune sighed, knowing he won't be freed anytime soon.

As he waited for what felt like forever, the door in front of him opened and a man entered with a pair of police officers. He was in a leather jacket with a grey shirt and black pants along with a police badge pinned at his left breast. Jaune watched as he ordered one of the officers out and the other to stay. He took that time to improvise his interview.

His name was the first that came to mind. The world knows that Jaune Arc is dead and disappeared from sight. If he said his real name, everyone would probably freak out and have him locked up. That time to think ran out and the man sat down across his desk.

"I'm Detective Andre Hilltop," the man introduced. "You may recognize me from the papers but I'm not here for an autograph or whatever you have in mind. You know what you've done and you can't deny it. To think of it, a boy this young like you could get a nasty punishment if proven guilty. I've got a list of questions I want to ask, you are to answer them truthfully without hesitation. No lies. Understand?"

Jaune remained silent. Maybe if he refuses to give any information about himself, he may just ask him about the incident he never attended.

"Enough chit-chat, let's get started. State your full name."

His one fear became realized. His name. Everything around him shrunk and closed on him. He felt heat and anxiety roll on his face. How was he going to answer him? He doesn't want to say his real name but there would be something worse if he remained quiet. Jaune became silent he forgot about the detective.

"Kid! Are you going to answer me or what? State your full name."

Jaune snapped out of his silent mind and cleared his throat.

"Cory Stone."

As soon as he said it, he somehow felt something strange. He swore that wasn't what he was supposed to say. It was like it suddenly appeared into his mind, replacing what he was going to say.

"Cory Stone," Hilltop repeated, acting unsurprised. "Cory Stone...Doesn't that ring a bell?"

Jaune gulped. "N-no, sir."

"Lucky you, you're a nobody."

Hilltop looked down at his folder and flipped it open, revealing documents and photographs.

"So you've got no records at all," He said, placing the papers in front of Jaune. "No criminal record, no birth certificates, nothing. But that's not what I'm here to ask."

Jaune wanted to ask what he really wanted but it would be best to keep quiet. He spread the photographs apart, clear enough for Jaune to see. The photos looked recent. However, the photos were quite gruesome to stare. Each of them were pictures of dead human people.

"Can you explain this?" Hilltop asked.

Jaune was struck by confusion. "I-I had nothing to do with this. I don't kill people, I really don't."

Hilltop continued to stare at Jaune, making him uncomfortable. "And I'm supposed to be taking your word for it?"

"I swear, I didn't do any of this."

"Then why did security find you in a crashed van with a dead driver?"

"I don't remember. I was just asleep and then when I woke up, the first thing I saw was his body! Please, you gotta believe me. I'm not that kind of person."

"If you're not that kind of person, then why did you stab the security guy?"

Jaune was suddenly silent. He didn't know why. He just wanted to leave and the pressure he got from the guard somehow unleashed anger inside him.

"You know what," the detective said. "How about we go back to the start? Back to the last time you were 'awake'."

* * *

A taxi arrived at what appears to be an empty industrial area and slowly drove up to the curb. The door opened and a bald man got out. He moved in a stiff and emotionless way, his eyes didn't blink and he kept a really straight face. The driver's windscreen lowered and the man handed him the lien. The driver gave him a weird look before closing the windscreen.

He watched the taxi drive off with content and interest before turning away, heading towards his destination. The man dressed as if he came from a local bar. A large black hoodie and jeans. It looked as if it was recently stolen. He made a left turn and continued walking in a strange manner. In front of him was a large warehouse which looked abandoned. However, the front of the building had a flag with a wolf's head and three scratches painted on it. The man stared at the building, gaining further interest before heading towards that place.

He arrived very shortly and approached the gate where a pair of White Fang guards was. They were seated by the side, playing cards when one of them noticed the human. They exchanged glances and got up, approaching the man. One of them with a tail carried a rifle in case the situation escalated.

"This is no place for humans, get out of here." The bear Faunus bellowed.

The man didn't respond other than looking at the warehouse behind him before looking back at the guards.

"You Faunus do see the need to use violence to support your mission." He said.

"Didn't you hear us? Get out of here right now!"

The man stared at the Faunus soldiers. The one in front of him glared at him, gritting his teeth just to express his fury. They do their very best to intimidate, the man thought. The one with the tail just stood behind him, holding a rifle just to defend himself. The man tilted his head and calmly looked at them.

"You may look very prepared and well trained," The man stated. "But the state of your nerves aren't very protected. I can easily see that your heart rate accelerated to a higher pace when I walked up to you. In fact, I can tell you are not prepared for what's coming at you.

The bear Faunus looked back at his partner. He shrugged. Neither of them have a clue on what this human's rambling about.

"There are two of you," the man continued. "One of you is armed. But I can sure that I am capable of taking both of you down without missing a beat.

By the time he was finished speaking, the Faunus were already shocked and confused at his claims. They refused to step down and the Faunus started to act tough. The tail Faunus raised his rifle while the bear Faunus walked closer towards the man.

"Listen, human," he snarled, shoving the man back. "This is your last chance. If we don't see your ass gone in five seconds, we'll shoot you dead where you fucking stand!"

The man kept a straight face, unfazed by the Faunus' threat. He tilted his head, irritating the bear Faunus even further. And that was enough to trigger an attack from him. The Faunus backed away and allowed his armed friend take care of him.

"You asked for it."

The tail Faunus aimed and held onto the trigger. He didn't see what the man had planned for him afterwards. The man grabbed the barrel and with extreme force, pulled it away from his face. The Faunus lost balance and stumbled towards him. He grabbed the Faunus' back of the head and his shoulder, swiftly slamming his head against the wall. Blood squeezed out and sprayed the wall with whatever remained of his head...

* * *

 **This is basically what I've managed to write up before I ended up losing interest. I'm sorry but this story may not be able to continue any time soon. I just don't like how much the story's tone has shifted into. This was meant to be a horror story, not a superhero origin.**

 **If I get a sudden miraculous motivation, I might continue. For now, I'll just focus on my Spider-Man fic on AO3. As always, see you guys later.**

 **Or maybe not.**


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